It’s generally just two words, and there are better places to cut fluff in an email. The salutation is a great opportunity to engage your reader.

In general I do try to write a salutation, even if it’s just “Hi Mary:” in all business emails. I think what you are describing in terms of treating email as an analog of text or instant messaging, but I think we are at least 10 years away from that. That level of informality won’t occur until current ten year olds get into the workforce. Of course if it’s quick back and forth (like re: 5 times I may just skip them).

Also, I found this interesting Belgian survey while searching for an answer on this:
http://poq.oxfordjournals.org/.....t/69/4/588

It appears adding a salutation adds more weight and encourages responses from the recipient.

I’ve received emails from both subordinates and superiors without salutation, and they have appear to me as somewhat disrespectful. Especially when others are cc:’ed on the email, if they don’t take the time to address to address me it seems like I should treat their emails with the same effort.

But of course this topic is a shifting landscape. Remember 5-10 years ago it was very taboo to use your cell phone in a restaurant? That has pretty much gone the route of banning “pissed off” and “bitch” on network TV, or no jeans in the workplace…

I tend to respond in kind. If someone emails me with a “Hi, Katherine” I’ll reply with a “Hi, Bob.” I suppose it sort of follows the treat people the way you want to be treated rule–greet people the way you want to be greeted.

Paul – I really like your point about CC’ing people on emails. Using a salutation points out the actual TO recipients in a glance. I’ve definitely used that many times.

(1) I generally start a conversation addressing the recipient by name and closing with my first name. Even if I use a signature, it lets people know how I prefer to be referred to. It would especially be helpful from people like you, e.g., if your signature says “Andrew” but you go by “Andy” or “Drew.”

(2) After the first e-mail, I tend to drop names.

(3) Also, these days, lots of e-mails have multiple recipients. Especially when people are CC’d, it’s nice to clear up who the actual recipient is, and to cue everyone else that they are otherwise CC’d.

(4) As for treating e-mails like instant messages: I think there’s a bit of necessary decorum, linked to mental discipline, to putting some formality into e-mails. Short is not a problem. But omitting capitalization, punctuation, and proper grammar annoys me. In my personal case, I also send “formal” IM messages, too.

Paul

A family member (whom I love and respect) for many years leapt into and out of messages without names at the beginning or end, and they seemed very choppy.

If someone walks into my office to ask a question, I like to have some sort of indication that she’s there to do so. (“Hi, could I ask a question?” “Excuse me, is this a good time?”) With so much of our work being done on email, I like a human touch there too.

By the way, I prefer “Dear Prof. Jones” or “Dear Pat” to “Pat Jones:”

– Mary

Most people don’t use a salutation or a closing in e-mails–or in blog comments either, for that matter. This is fine, because, as you say, e-mails are less formal methods of communication, as are blog comments. I guess I’m old-fashioned, though, because I tend to use them in both e-mails and comments most of the time. Occasionally, however, when an e-mail or a comment is a short reply to another message/comment, I don’t bother. Basically, for me, it depends on the content and how substantive it is, and at times–where blog comments are concerned–the way other commenters are setting up their own comments.

Jeanne