This post — unbelievable in so many ways — is making the rounds on Twitter:

Diversity candidate. Would you like to call her? Saul? Too senior for stated reqs for Kleinbard although she is female and diversity which means we should send her anyway.

Oh my god, Karen, you can’t just say people are “diversity candidates.”

• Don’t say the things said in this email.
• Don’t do the things said in this email.
• Don’t think the way the people in this email think.

There is too much to unpack there. I am not equipped to handle it beyond what has already been said, so instead, let’s focus on the computer literacy aspect of it for now.

Assume Your Email is an Open Book

The American Miranda rights phrase “anything you say can and will be used against you” applies to email, because email is not private and you should assume anyone anywhere can read it.

That little paragraph you put below your signature that says “This email is only intended for blah blah blah”…? Meaningless. Your corporate email retention policy? Meaningless. That “recall” function? Meaningless.

You are one fat finger away from sending an email to the wrong person. You are one disgruntled employee away from having your email forwarded to the press. You are one “diversity candidate” away from being the main character on Twitter for a day.