Heard a kid say 'why would I email my boss' yesterday

Riley Miller · 2026-04-28T15:30:02.765038+00:00

Was getting coffee and overheard an intern talking to a friend. Said email feels like 'leaving a paper trail for no reason.' They use Slack for everything. Made me realize I've been doing follow-up emails for 15 years. But honestly, I still think email saves your butt when something goes wrong. Anyone else stick to email for important stuff?

logan2365mo ago

Totally with @daniel470 on this one. That manager story is EXACTLY why I still email. Slack is fine for quick chats but its search is trash if you need to find something from even a month ago. I had a similar thing happen where a client tried to change a spec that was clearly discussed via DMs, and I had to dig through like 50 messages to prove it. Burned once, learned my lesson.

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daniel4705mo ago

Exactly. Saw a junior dev at my old job get burned bad. Used Slack to ask for a deadline extension. Manager said "sure" in a thread. Three weeks later, manager claimed they never agreed. Kid had no screenshots. I always BCC myself on salary stuff and project deadlines. Paper trail covers your back every time.

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averymartin5mo ago

@daniel470 nailed it - screenshot everything and BCC yourself on anything with money or deadlines.

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