NSFW = Not Safe For Work? Really?
Some feel that an acronym meaning “Not Safe For Work” is necessary when emailing people they know are at work. Is the sender being courteous by using NSFW in the subject field? This acronym can warn the recipient that the content or links within are questionable and improper for the work environment.
Questionable or improper for work. So why even send it in the first place?
Inappropriate is Inappropriate
There should be no need for such an acronym. Use of this acronym should tell any rational-thinking person all they need to know about the sender’s respect for others at work and their employer.
We cannot control who sends us an email and when. But senders should have enough common sense and respect to not send emails with questionable content to someone’s work email. Worse yet, using a business email address to send “NSFW” emails.
The recipient has no choice regarding what may be sent to them at any given time; it is up to the sender to make this judgment call. Why would you jeopardize a contact’s work reputation by sending them an inappropriate email to their workplace?
Shouldn’t we use some discretion rather than label something with an acronym? Adding an acronym does not relieve you of the responsibility or the appropriateness of your actions.
How about when wondering if an email is suitable for the work environment, you send it to a personal address instead? Or, if you don’t have a personal address, you can always ask the recipient what their personal address is to avoid any problems.
On the Receiving End…
If you have folks sending you emails with this acronym, here’s what you do. First, you, as the responsible employee, should make it clear to the sender that they should no longer use your business email address for anything non-business-related.
Business networks archive all emails that go in and out. Therefore, you cannot allow an outside party to risk your reputation, whether a friend or family member.
You do not know which emails are being reviewed. You cannot expect privacy when using a company email address on the company’s network while on company time.
At that time, you can also provide your personal email address for any emails. Don’t have a personal address? Get one—there are several options: Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo!
Better yet, get your own domain (yourname.com) and set up your own email (na**@******me.com) just to be used for your out-of-work communications. Problem solved.
It is funny how we spend so much time creating ways to justify things we know we shouldn’t be doing in the first place. How about this? If you use company email for anything other than company business, you should include this acronym: IUE (Irresponsible Unprofessional Employee). Ouch.
