# For Whom By:: [[Ross Jackson]] 2024-03-03 Emails can be a fascinating form of communication. Their unique mix of brevity and formality makes them so potentially insightful. Additionally, emails allow one to send them directly or “courtesy copy” a person on the email. Of course, there are two other options available. One could “blind copy” a person so that the people to whom the email is being sent are unaware that another person is receiving a copy, or one could forward the email after it is sent to the primaries. In the initial construction, emails allow one to send it to the people primarily engaged with a task and to include those who might have an interest in the topic being discussed. Emails allow the “for whom” to be delineated. However, the content of the email can suggest that the person for whom the email seems to be designated isn’t the primary audience. Subtleties might suggest that the email is only being sent to the primary person to communicate something desired to the people included as a courtesy. This approach can be used to provide missing context for those on the periphery. Such a ploy can be used to convey to the people on the courtesy copy that they should be much more appreciative of what is going on because one of the primaries is going “above and beyond the call of duty” in addressing the given concern at the given time. One can infer this because if the message were meant only for the primary, one wouldn’t include the others. At a minimum, their inclusion becomes suspect for whom the message is intended. Communication is always potentially ambiguous. Emails are no different. However, given their prominence in business communication, emails are a source of useful information for understanding how information is propagated within organizations. When figuring out for whom the message is intended, one cannot simply rely on the “To line.” The primary message is often sent to those included on the cutesy copy line. #### Related Items [[Email]] [[Business]] [[Communication]]