Being Tagged Is Annoying!

On June 5, 2009, I received an email that looked as if it was being sent to me from one of our clients. It was from "Tagged" and the subject line said "XXXXX X sent you a message...". Keep in mind I recognized XXXXX X as the first name and first initial of the last name of this client. So I opened the email. There was a photo of the client and a message that said "You have a new message from XXXXX X, check out these private photos. OK, OK, are you wondering why I continued? Well, this client has frequently over the past few years found innovative ways to send me large photos to use on her website. So, naturally I thought I better oblige and enjoy being TAGGED! What I now know is this: Being TAGGED is Annoying!

1. Even though I went through the process of filling out the TAGGED application, I never did see my client's "photos."
2. I started receiving emails from TAGGED telling me that I was welcomed to their world, that I was receiving extra bonus points.
3. And then suddenly on June 18, someone I have never heard of, one Robert Buy, set me FREE! Really?

I thought back to the days of my childhood. I am sure no matter how old you are you have some memory of playing a game of TAG. Don't you? Did you like it? I think basically we played tag to kill time and as someone said on Wikipedia: "The game continues until the players are tired or lose interest." Go ahead read up on the game of TAG on Wikipedia...it is very interesting.

On Friday morning I was all set to write this post about QWERTY, but my husband asked me to look at his new TAGGED friends. Oh, please...a regular smorgasbord of beauties. Then I began to think about this a little more: Am I the only person who feels being TAGGED is annoying? Apparently not. I googled and found the most interesting article from TIME.com dated June 11, 2009, "TAGGED: The World's Most Annoying Website."

Now hear this. I am going to cancel my TAGGED account because I am tired and have no interest in being annoyed with extra emails, bonus points and I was not set free by Robert! How about you, do you find being TAGGED annoying?

Layoff Announcement via Email

This past Monday, March 9, 2009, one of my former employers sent a company wide layoff announcement via email. Sadly some of my friends were impacted by this layoff. Given the state of the US economy we have all grown accustom to layoff news. It is happening everywhere, touching every industry; however, prior to this week Mercury Insurance Services, LLC, founded in 1962, had never resorted to layoffs. I could ask a lot of questions about this business decision, most of which are not answered in their press release. The one question that weighs on my mind is why did they choose to communicate this business decision via email?

Perhaps companies feel this is accepted email etiquette. For some companies, maybe. But you need to know that prior to mid 2002 90% of Mercury employees did not even have personal computers, they worked with dumb green terminals. That's right,no email, no word processing software, no internet access...they spent eight hours a day in their cubicles connecting to a mainframe to perform and produce their work product - underwriting policies or adjusting claims. In 2001 I was named the project manager to bring Mercury employees into the 21st century. One of the biggest project battles was convincing senior management that the employees should have and use email. I won the battle and this week I learned that senior management used email to announce a company wide layoff. What a difference seven years can make!

Generally technology is wonderful for the work environment, but have we technically progressed to the point that it is considered acceptable to deliver life altering news via a cold email? Let's remember that this startling news negatively impacted those who were not laid off, as well as those who were. I read an interesting article on this subject that I invite you to read: "Is There Such a Thing as a Good Layoff?"

Today I dedicate this blog post to all Mercury employees, those who were fired and those who were retained. In September 2004, when I resigned from Mercury I sent a good-bye letter to those whom I had worked with over my almost seven year tenure. And because I had managed many company wide projects this letter went to many employees. In that letter I shared the following thoughts, which ironically are still pertinent today:

---As I leave you, I tried to think of the best advice I could offer you as individuals and as a group. It came to me that what I have always tried to impart to you is to question each request as if your life depended on it. Do not be afraid to stand your ground for the betterment of your work ethic and the company. In other words, do the right thing. A few years ago, I saw a movie, "The Winslow Boy", and in the closing scene a defense attorney states: "I wept today because right had been done." When questioned by the defendant's sister, "Not justice?" to this the attorney replied, "No, not justice. Right. Easy to do 'justice'. Very hard to do 'right'."

In these difficult times, can we all just try to do right?

Good night and good luck!


March 10, 2009 5:14 PM EDT

In a Form 8-K, Mercury General Corp. (NYSE: MCY) announced that on March 9, 2009, the Company took action to eliminate approximately 360 employee positions or 7% of the Company's workforce in an ongoing effort to improve its cost structure. The Company expects to record a charge, in the first quarter of 2009, of approximately $8 million for severance and other employee termination costs in connection with the reduction in workforce, all of which will result in future cash expenditures. The total annualized pre-tax cost savings that are expected to result from the employee reductions is estimated to be approximately $22 million.March 10, 2009 5:14 PM EDT

Why I send holiday greeting cards

Every year I take on the "joyous" task of composing a holiday letter and creating a photo greeting card. Why I send holiday greeting cards other than to say I have completed a project, is that it gives me a sense of continuity. I have been responsible for this family missive for at least 30 years; however, due to circumstances beyond my control there have been at least two years that I missed, namely 1999 and 2003.

In 1985 I started the tradition of including a holiday photo of our family. We stood in front of the Eastern Slope Inn in North Conway, NH, Aaron was not quite five and Dan was just a few months shy of two. And so over the years, we have tried to gather for one quick moment to capture the memory of our years together. As time went by, I created funny little messages, as opposed to just saying "Holiday Greetings". For example...the photo card you see here from 1989 ~ since we were gathered with the menagerie, my greeting said "Hogs and kisses two ewe!"

Our friends and relatives grew accustomed to this tradition and in the two years that I missed sending cards, we received phone calls, letters, and emails inquiring as to whether or not we were "OK". Even yesterday, when we received a card from some very dear friends, she wrote on the bottom of her card: "We're looking forward to your holiday news."

Can you feel the pressure put on me? I hope so.

Steve Hendrix of the Washington Post said it best this week: "To the average mother, the entire social construct hangs on a once-a-year exchange of cardboard with best friends from third grade, long-ago piano teachers and cousins so far out on the family tree that they might be another branch of primates all together. And all the better if the missive includes a recent photo of the offspring (bonus points for one taken at a ski resort) and a whitewashed summary of the year's family news."

I received a lot of bonus points over the years as we owned a Country Inn in a ski resort town, so capturing a snowy scene was usually easy, and I have been known for not "whitewashing" the family news.

This yearly event has gotten more expensive, I don't even want to discuss what it cost this year, with the cost of postage ($.15 per item in 1978 when Dennis and I married, and now $.42, which represents an increase of 180% over 30 years) and photo production rising as well. And I won't mention the physical hours it takes for this production, I figure at least 15-20 hours for the whole process. It will take me a while to give up on this tradition.

I know we have blogs, email, telephones, text messaging, YouTube videos and Google videos, but there is nothing like waiting for the postman to arrive during the month of December. I look forward to hearing from friends and families. I read their letters, become slightly insulted if the card only contains a signature. I love the photos and, yes, I save the photos. It is fun to look at them and see how everyone has grown up, out, old, gray, etc. Just this week a card came from our dear neighbors from North Conway. And in the beautiful photograph appeared Eric and Matt Phillips all grown up, this year's photo taken at Matt's wedding to Molly. We first met Eric and Matt in 1986...and we enjoyed the photo and their mom's letter.

Here you can enjoy my 2008 Holiday Greeting Photo...a few minutes in time.