Anderson Cooper 360 Emailed Me

I’m in the process of editing and polishing all the correspondence that goes out from siteMighty. We have automated messages that go to users when they sign up for an account, generate an agent ID, map their domain, etc. Although these messages contain important account information for our users, we don’t think they have to be all business.

We love natural language — slang, contractions, yadda-yadda-yadda. Apart from my own writing abilities, I’m constantly looking at the ways other people are doing things, and today I got a very good example of this from Anderson Cooper.

Before I share the email, here’s why they sent it. The Idea Village sent me an email today (I can’t believe I’m still on their mailing list since I must have signed up over 2 years ago). Long story short, here’s the part that caught my eye:

Retaining, attracting and engaging entrepreneurial talent is a key focus for The Idea Village over the next two years. This Thursday (9–11pm), CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360 will feature an interview with Tim Williamson, President of The Idea Village, as he discusses the infusion of talent in the aftermath of Katrina.

I’ve never thought much of the Idea Village. This is due in part from a bad experience I had with them, and from the bad things I always seem to hear about them. In other words, I don’t want them speaking on behalf of New Orleans entrepreneurs. I want to give Anderson Cooper a perspective that I doubt he’ll get from those guys, so I submitted that sentiment through their Web site. Here’s the email I got back (I love it!):

Thanks for your email. Here’s our problem. We want you to know that we really do read every single email you viewers send us. No, honestly. But reading your email is one thing, and composing individual answers to each one is another. That would be a full-time enterprise. In which case, there’d be no AC 360. In which case, there’d be no emails. You see where we’re headed.

Anyway, the best we can do is to acknowledge that we have indeed received and will read your message, and this little note is to let you know that. It’s automatic, yes; fails to take into account whether you’ve patted us on the back or slapped us across the face; does not differentiate between praise, correction, fury, proposals of marriage, or invitations to get lost. But rest assured we’ll know that part when we read it!