Even though I try to keep email short, I often compose important messages gradually, building in a line or two at a time over a few days and trying to chop out stuff that’s less important. Usually the first thing I do is insert the recipient’s address -so that I can find it easily in the Drafts box – but that means I’m always in danger of accidentally clicking the ‘Send’ button prematurely. (When I decide to start a new message, without closing the current draft, it’s easy to accidentally click the wrong button: just a small interface issue which could easily be corrected).
My spelling is generally ok, but more than once the Thunderbird spellchecker has saved me from actually sending off a draft email by mistake. More than once, however, I’ve sent an embarrassing, half formed (but perfectly spelled) version.
Extending that logic a little, today’s invention is a mail program plugin which checks my messages for certain signs that they are complete -such as the terms “regards”, “yours sincerely” etc which I only ever add at the last minute to correspond with the final tone of what I’m trying to say. It would also detect if the word “attached” had been used and alert me if no attachment existed.
