Email sign-offs ranked ‘good’ to ‘evil’
What does your email sign-off say about your personality?
If you finish with "cheers" you're "good", "thanks" means you're "neutral" and "ciao" is truly "evil", according to a chart that ranks common sign-offs.
Canadian university student Julia Burnham created the chart, which has gone viral on Twitter with more than 45,000 shares, based on the alignment system from role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
The nine alignments are all the possible combinations of "good versus evil" and "law versus chaos" axes - from lawful good on the top left to chaotic evil on the bottom right.
"I woke up in a cold sweat last night to create this content," Ms Burnham tweeted on Saturday. "I present: the Email Sign-off Alignment."
I woke up in a cold sweat last night to create this content. I present: the Email Sign-off Alignment pic.twitter.com/SkNpXxrj5V
— Julia Burnham (@juliarburnham) August 9, 2019
Ms Burnham revealed she was "neutral good aspiring to be a lawful good". Twitter users shared their own results and debated where other sign-offs would rank.
"I vacillate between 'cheers' and 'regards'. Seems I have two polar extremes in my personality," one person wrote.
Another recalled a co-worker who signed off "TTFN (ta ta for now)". "Didn't even know what to do about it. Still sends shivers down my spine," they wrote.
One man said he "had a boss who responded with 'bye' during normal emails in the middle of the day'. "Neither of us were going anywhere," he wrote. "What kind of man was I dealing with?"
Another user said he "once sent a guy an email at 11pm and he got pissed that the notification woke him up so he signed off his angry response with 'no regards'".
My favorite is when "thanks" is part of the signature so you get something like:
— D. W. O'Boyle (@DWOBoyle) August 9, 2019
Thanks,
Thanks,
-Name
Early in my career I had to send a monthly report to the board of one of the world's biggest companies. I copied the email content from the previous incumbent as it worked well..
— Dogs Nads (@NadsDogs) August 10, 2019
It was 3 years before I spotted that the signoff of 'Regards' was in fact 'Retards'...
I had a coworker that signed “TTFN” (ta ta for now) didn’t even know what to do about it. Still sends shivers down my spine.
— Morgan Mad-Eye Moody (@MorganMoody9) August 10, 2019
I once had a boss who responded with “Bye” during normal emails in the middle of the day. Neither of us were going anywhere. As the expert, what kind of man was I dealing with?
— Jason Krell (@Krellitlikeitis) August 10, 2019
‘Happy to chat’ is a declaration of war though.
— Anna Cale (@real_meaning) August 9, 2019
"As per my last email" = I'm livid
— Emma Louise Harris (@emmalouise_art) August 9, 2019
Ok but once I sent a guy an email at 11pm and he got pissed that the notification woke him up so he signed off his angry response with "no regards" where does that fit in?
— Pardapeo 155 (@pardapeo) August 10, 2019
"Respectfully" is chaotic final boss level evil
— Jon Renaut (@ebooksyearn) August 9, 2019
I type out, “Thanks, Biz” or, “Cheers, Biz” if I already said “Thanks” in the body. I thought it was respectful and polite. Should I switch to, “Warmly, Biz”?
— Biz Stone (@biz) August 10, 2019
I vacillate between “cheers” and “regards.” Seems I have two polar extremes in my personality
— Dr Brian Mangum (@MangumBrian) August 9, 2019
I loathe the very passive aggressive “thanks in advance”
— Ilana Wiles (@mommyshorts) August 10, 2019
As inspired by an old boss (for whom I typed many many emails), I maintain a hierarchy of sign offs.
— TyrannoLAURusrex (@LMcRoars) August 9, 2019
Best wishes = standard, I genuinely wish you well
Best = you’ve made me send one too many emails and I’m slightly annoyed by it
Regards = I *will* fight you in these streets
Also, where would you rank additions to “Sent from my iPhone” like ... “Sent from my iPhone. Please excuse typos.”
— Fabiola Melendez Carletti (@fiercefab) August 10, 2019
Neutral neurotic?
(It always leaves me scanning for said typos!)
