e-diot

I love this story:

New York state assemblyman Willis Stephens apparently understands computers only slightly better than my 75-year-old mother who thinks the purpose of computers is to play FreeCell solitaire. In a cautionary tale, Stephens was monitoring an online chat room recently to read the concerns of his constituents. Unable to restrain his excitement, Willis fired off an email to an aide -- but inadvertently emailed all 300 chat-room members -- that he was "just watching the idiots pontificate."

The New York Daily News reports that Stephens issued an online apology less than an hour after realizing that he was the idiot.

" 'I honestly enjoy reading most of what is exchanged on this site and do not direct my indiscreet characterizations to anyone in particular or to the group in general,' he wrote. 'In fact, now I most closely resemble the type of poster I described.' "

I suspect anyone who has worked in an office utilizing email can attest to the casual treachery of online communication. The worst -- which has happened to me on more than one occasion -- is when you twist off in an email about how some asshole did such-and-such ... and then absentmindedly sending it to the asshole in question.

Tip in such circumstances: Avoid use of the word "buttplug."