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Computer: Email: Emotion
Subtexted email   (+7, -4)  [vote for, against]
What you're really thinking

Do any of you remember which Woody Allen movie had the thoughts of the actors shown in subtitles while the actors engaged in idle chatter?

I was watching someone send a professionally phrased, politely worded missive, speaking out loud as they keyed, and they were saying some extremely rude (and true) things that were being filtered out before they reached the keyboard.

I'd like to have an email format that allowed you to capture all the commentary, but only have it show if you chose the subtexted mode and rolled your mouse cursor over the text.
-- normzone, Dec 17 2007

Link Titles in HTML http://www.useit.com/alertbox/980111.html
<If your recipients use HTML, this can be pretty effective>[and they'll know you have spare time on your hands] [reensure, Dec 19 2007]

" a mine field of error already "... _22_20Do_20you_20me...HIS_20Marc_3f_20_22
[normzone, May 20 2014]

You can do something like this in MicroShit Word .... can't remember how. Some sort of edit/annotation option.... ask the paperclip.
-- 8th of 7, Dec 17 2007


Write your email in Excel. Use the comments to write your subtext (they only appear when you move the mouse over them). Email the excel doc - done
-- phundug, Dec 17 2007


The movie was Annie Hall (1977), translating e.g. "Photography's interesting because, you know, it's a new form, and a set of aesthetic criteria have not emerged yet." into "I wonder what she looks like naked."
-- jutta, Dec 17 2007


you're in dangerous territory here, norm. bad enough sending the email to the wrong person.
-- po, Dec 18 2007


I don't understand this - if you're happy to send your secret thoughts in an easily-readable form to someone, then why not just write them in the email?
-- hippo, Dec 18 2007


Any engineer could tell you that .... no translation needed.

Especially if you're dealing with a government agency ...
-- 8th of 7, Dec 18 2007


Or, as anybody involved in the Quality field could tell you, especially if you're dealing with an engineer.

OK, at least if we're referring to the coddled group I deal with.
-- normzone, Dec 19 2007


// coddled //

<sniff>

<sniff>

We smell Prejudice ! Send for the Auditorfinder-General !
-- 8th of 7, Dec 19 2007


Heh, I agree that it wouldn't be great to email these thoughts direct to the recipient, but how about cc-ing the subtext to a chosen accomplice?

But like [po] says, email is a minefield of error already - wrong recipient, forgotten/incorrect attachment, reply-all (oops) etc. Do we really need one more way to screw up?

Of course!
-- zen_tom, Dec 19 2007



random, halfbakery