Email thread - reflection of human dynamics

I come in to work today, and the first thing I noticed is there are over 100 emails under the thread "Important: Health Care Spending Reminder". Apparently, HR sent out the reminder to 5000+ on a particular alias, and all it took is ONE stupid individual to hit "Reply-all" and spam the entire list with a complaint of her personal account problem.

Then instead of the usual "Take me off" and "Me too!" mails, initially people were trying to be polite, and in attempt to ask people to not hit "Reply-all". But a few emails later, it deteriorated into other people who *somehow* felt it was appropriate to vent their frustration with the HCSR procedure to send their personal complaints to the entire mailing list. And shockingly, more than 4-5 people did this. They figured it only took them 30sec to type up a complaint email, but it wasted thousands of other people's email time, and generated email traffic (which btw, is not exactly FREE if you compute the cost of computer cycle time).

Amazingly, I am both annoyed and amused at how this whole thing folded out. Don't these people realize that their angry responses are not anonymous, that your boss and directors could be reading your flame mails at this time?

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Finally, after a series of complaints, and people trying to stop the complaints thread, and there are apparently people who have too much time on hand to *intentionally* spam the group, see one of the emails below as an attempt of a "humor" response:

TERIYAKI SALMON

2 c. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. ginger
1 1/4 c. sugar
1 1/2 c. cooking sherry
1/2 tsp. onion powder
1 c. brown sugar
8-12 salmon steaks
Combine all ingredients except salmon in a saucepan and simmer for 45
minutes. Do not boil. Make sure sugar dissolves completely. Cool.

Marinate steaks 4 hours in sauce. Barbecue steaks over hot coals until
fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Reheat Teriyaki Sauce and
pour over each individual dish to serve with salmon steaks.

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At the time of the blog, the email thread is still going on, and the recipe list has grown to include lamb chops and flambe .. This is NOT an interest group mailing list!

yes, I can set up my mailbox in thread view and ignore the now 100+ msgs under it, but I *should NOT* have to! These people should exercise their maturity and self control and respect for others! I suggest all these people who are stupid enough to do this be FIRED!