Usage of "ASAP" in emails

mrcheez

It's gotten to the stage now that whenever I see "asap" in an email in work I literally take it as meaning "as soon as possible"..

i.e. "no it wasn't possible to respond to your query as I was having a chat with a colleague over coffee and wasn't possible to reach my computer from the kitchen"

It's gotten so watered down now that practically EVERY email from a client usually has at least one reference to it, so it's lost all meaning.

I'll be thankful when it's relegated to the past.

biko

For me the meaning has gone from "straightaway" to "when I get around to it"..

Tom Mann Centuria

Annoying in emails, makes me want to stab people when they use it in conversation.

Arbitrary

mrcheez wrote: »

It's gotten to the stage now that whenever I see "asap" in an email in work I literally take it as meaning "as soon as possible"..

i.e. "no it wasn't possible to respond to your query as I was having a chat with a colleague over coffee and wasn't possible to reach my computer from the kitchen"

It's gotten so watered down now that practically EVERY email from a client usually has at least one reference to it, so it's lost all meaning.

I'll be thankful when it's relegated to the past.

Stop being such asap.

mrcheez

Arbitrary wrote: »

Stop being such asap.

It does explain why they seem to sign off with that

do blah blah blah

(asap)

Antar Bolaeisk

I find ASAP to be counter-intuitive, it's abbreviated to imply and feels like a very immediate word and tends to be used as such but the meaning of it literally denotes a non-urgency.

mrcheez

Antar Bolaeisk wrote: »

I find ASAP to be counter-intuitive, it's abbreviated to imply and feels like a very immediate word and tends to be used as such but the meaning of it literally denotes a non-urgency.

Perhaps "do it now (pretty please)" will come to the fore instead

9or10

Tom Mann Centuria wrote: »

Annoying in emails, makes me want to stab people when they use it in conversation.

Even worse than e-mails, where its virtually de rigueur, is when its said as a word. Did we just join the army FFS.

Turtyturd

It's the new 'thanks in advance'.

KERSPLAT!

Do we need a thread for every email phrase!?

If you could let me know asap.

Thanks in advance.

9or10

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

Do we need a thread for every email phrase!?

If you could let me know asap.

Thanks in advance.

Clearly we do

Infernum

I wonder if they replaced the 'soon' in ASAP with 'quickly' people might take it more literally.... Or not.

mrcheez

9or10 wrote: »

Even worse than e-mails, where its virtually de rigueur, is when its said as a word. Did we just join the army FFS.

Since nostalgia is all the rage these days, won't be long before "stat" makes a comeback

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/b8c21293-a0ca-4d59-a356-ea3e1981baa3

Capt'n Midnight

As Soon As Practicable, bearing in mind that this will put all of you other requests to the back of the Queue.


If you want something As Soon As Possible then supply the requisite resources. Money's good but with the proviso that the age old rule applies, "do you want it done now, or do you want it done properly ?"

jgorres

ASAP does not mean "as soon as possible". It means "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE".

mrcheez

jgorres wrote: »

ASAP does not mean "as soon as possible". It means "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE".

asap does though

jgorres

NO, IT DOESN'T.

maudgonner

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

Do we need a thread for every email phrase!?

If you could let me know asap.

Thanks in advance.

I will revert at my earliest convenience.

jgorres

maudgonner wrote: »

I will revert at my earliest convenience.

Just after my trip to hell.

76544567

I hate the "I saw that you read my mail at 12:33 and 21 seconds. Can you respond please."
I turn off read receipts at all times now.

blackcard

Working abroad, I found if I asked for something to be done 'now', it might be done in a week. If I asked for it to be done 'now now', it might be done in a day. To get something done asap, I had to ask for it to be done 'now now now now now now now'.
In Cavan, if I asked for something to be done asap, they would say 'no bother'. In my innocence, I took this to mean 'yes'. However, I found it was just an acknowledgement that they had heard me and they might do it in their own good time.

Goya

mrcheez wrote: »

It's gotten to the stage now that whenever I see "asap" in an email in work I literally take it as meaning "as soon as possible"..

i.e. "no it wasn't possible to respond to your query as I was having a chat with a colleague over coffee and wasn't possible to reach my computer from the kitchen"

It's gotten so watered down now that practically EVERY email from a client usually has at least one reference to it, so it's lost all meaning.

I'll be thankful when it's relegated to the past.

It doesn't mean anything different to what you say though?

Dr Strange

Generally, if I:

- send it it means "NOW".

- receive it it means "whenever I feel like it/get around to it".

mrcheez

jgorres wrote: »

ASAP does not mean "as soon as possible". It means "AS SOON AS POSSIBLE".

ASAP means "take your sweet f***ing time because I'm a knob jockey... oh and while you're at it, put this request at the back of the queue. For next month"

Flimpson wrote: »

It doesn't mean anything different to what you say though?

The implication is that it means "now". If people said "as soon as possible", the pressure is off.

CalamariFritti

I take it literally. As soon as possible. Possible could be a wide range. As soon as its possible to fit into my schedule. That could be next week. It doesnt mean as soon as its humanly possible. I take it as please don't forget about it. Or as soon as you get a chance.

ygolometsipe

In fairness as soon as possible give fair priority to the possible.

As in, I could reply but I have to scratch my balls first. I think
that falls inside the realm of possible.

I also have to make a cup of tea and think about how I will word my reply.

Getting a reply any time soon is moderate to difficult but crucially, not impossible.

Capt'n Midnight

maudgonner wrote: »

I will revert at my earliest convenience.

This one really gets me.

Revert ?

As in put things back the way they were , as in undo all the work already done.

Fine.


Just be careful of what you wish for, and remember genies will use word tricks.

mrcheez

CalamariFritti wrote: »

I take it literally. As soon as possible. Possible could be a wide range. As soon as its possible to fit into my schedule. That could be next week. It doesnt mean as soon as its humanly possible. I take it as please don't forget about it. Or as soon as you get a chance.

Then why include "asap" at all if there are no implied urgency demands?

e.g.
"can you look at this" and "can you look at this asap" imply exactly the same meaning, in that you will look at it whenever is possible after you've done whatever else you need to do, like take a holiday to Cuba

Grayson

It's also 14 down on today's simplex crossword.

Mr. FoggPatches

I stopped using ASAP long ago. I find that using STAT makes my inquiry sound more important, more urgent and also I feel slightly more surgical when using it.

mrcheez

mrcheez wrote: »

Since nostalgia is all the rage these days, won't be long before "stat" makes a comeback

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/b8c21293-a0ca-4d59-a356-ea3e1981baa3

Mr. FoggPatches wrote: »

I stopped using ASAP long ago. I find that using STAT makes my inquiry sound more important, more urgent and also I feel slightly more surgical when using it.

damn I spoke too soon

suicide_circus

I'm using "AFSAFP"

Knex*

Its annoying, but I'm at my stabbiest when people use, "revert back to you", or god forbid, "revert back to me asap".

KERSPLAT!

Is saying "as soon as possible" as bad as "asap"?

I say "as soon as possible" when pushing for updates...

Am I a prick? If yes is it because of the above or just a general observation?

B.A._Baracus

Most clients will use asap. It's a joke. What they really mean is do it now.
To give you an example last year I was working for a company that handled school websites. Updating the content, adding a news article and pretty simple things. But near enough every teacher or principle would say how these mere tiny pieces of news had to be uploaded asap! If it wasn't uploaded within the next 5 minutes it would be the end of the world.

You would then upload the news item (at your own leisure) only to be asked the same the following week to upload another. Lo and behold a whopping 8 people viewed the article that was so important. They'd even ring in sometimes to make sure it was placed "asap"

People use asap as a way to work people into doing things immediately. Often telling themselves "well sure if I don't say it they'll bloody take their time doing it" - no, it's a poor attempt at trying to con someone by blowing its importance out so you get your own way.

mrcheez

I have actually had someone say, "why wasn't this done when I asked" and I responded saying "you asked to do it asap, and it wasn't possible at the time"

Probably why I don't work there anymore

Boggy Turf

Mr.S wrote: »

that little red ! in outlook means it gets pushed to the bottom of the list tbh.

That little red ! is only used by the most arrogant of ass-holes.

I make a point of ignoring it.

My advice, only read your email 3 times a day. Otherwise it becomes a continuous distraction and prioritisation chaos game.

KERSPLAT!

KERSPLAT! wrote: »

Do we need a thread for every email phrase!?

If you could let me know asap.

Thanks in advance.

Going forward, if we could move towards amalgamating these into one specific thread, that would be great.

mrcheez

stankratz wrote: »

Going forward, if we could move towards amalgamating these into one specific thread, that would be great.

mrcheez

mrcheez wrote: »

I forgot the "mmm, yeeeah..."