Hey all! Less than 24 hours after giving my sup a lovely write-up on the 'in praise of supervisors' thread, I have crossed her yet again. My crime? I emailed her at about 10.30pm last night to ask her a question relating to our MSc students. Just to receive a narky email asking if it couldn't have waited until morning. I wasn't actually expecting a reply last night, I just sent it then because that was when I was checking my emails and responding to them! I've had emails from her at all times of the night, I'm sure she doesn't actually expect replies at 2am! (Then again, this is my sup, maybe she does!) It is really that awful to send an email late evening? It hasn't bothered her before. At the end of the day, if you don't want to check emails in the evening then don't look at your inbox!

Have I really committed such a heinous crime by doing this?

Cheers, KB

That's ridiculous. Emails don't need to be replied to immediately, but can be sent and read at people's convenience. Just ignore it and move on.

You've done nothing wrong KB, she's clearly having another of her "moments"!

Maybe you should start prefacing all emails with a standard disclaimer... "Kb looks forward to your response, but please send it at a time convenient to you, your happiness is our number one priority! Kb has merely sent this at a time appropriate for her, and time of sending in no way indicates the expected time of response. We thank you for reading."

Oh dear.... she is a one isn't she..... !!!! Of course you've done nothing wrong - if its that bad why is she checking her emails at that time? I send emails at my convenience (sometimes in the early hours) I don't expect a response immediately - if it was that urgent then I'd ring.... but then there are few things in life that need a response like NOW late at night. Just ignore her or yes, use the disclaimer, might come in useful ;-) Either way this is her problem not yours, maybe she'd had a bad day or was just in another of the moods she seems to get into sometimes from your posts lol. Either that or write emails, save them as drafts and send them out enmasse at 7am - makes you look uber keenbean ;-)

maybe you can re-set your desktop clock - does that work nowadays? and then it will look like you've sent it later/earlier. Then it will just make her crazy. I wonder if you can put a delay on emails?

======= Date Modified 10 Aug 2010 18:11:49 =======
sorry, posted that twice there, so have deleted it!

i agree, that's complete nonsense. If she doesn't want to be dealing with emails at night, then she shouldn't be checking them! I would have thought that everyone would understand that people send emails whenevers the most convenient for them, it doesn't mean you expect a response then. I often send my supervisors emails over the weekend or on a friday night - but i don't expect them to read it until at least monday, and i know they will only look at it/deal with it at a time that's convenient for them. if they complained about having to read it late at night i'd think they'd gone mad!!

i would send her a response back just saying apologies for the misunderstanding, but you weren't expecting her to check her emails, and weren't looking for an urgent response, you simply sent the email then as you were dealing with work stuff/whatever. you could even ask her to clarify - should you only send her emails during working hours? sound's like she's probably been in a bad mood about something else, and has responded to your email without really thinking. when she reads your response she'll probably realise she's over-reacted!

but i don't think you should ignore it, just because it then leaves you unclear about sending stuff in the future, and that's not a fair position for you to be in. If mainly she's the good supervisor from the other post, then she should be happy to clarify what you should do. Failing that, for future emails you are sending out of working hours, just add in a line saying that you appreciate it's after work hours, but you're just sending it while you remember, and she should feel free to ignore it until the next day/whenever's convenient.

it is so maddening when supervisors can be great, but then unreasonable and insane in equal measure!!!

======= Date Modified 10 Aug 2010 20:18:27 =======
Hmmmm... Curious! Something similar happened to me recently, although the person replying to me was nice about it. But I do remember thinking what on earth is he doing being awake at this time of the night and reply to my email?! Then my other half reminded me that perhaps the Blackberry phenomena has hit the academic world; and that some faculty-members might have their emails diverted to their phones, beeping right into the early hours of the morning whenever someone (in the US or OZ) sends them an email - he he he he .... But even if this were the case, honesly Keenbean it's not your fault that she forgot to turn her phone off. May be she was in bed already when you emailed her (when her Blackberry beeped!) - this might explain the grumpy reply you got, but doesn't justify it. Blackberry or not, it's not your fault either way. Perhaps asks her next time you see her (and catch her in a good mood) whether she has her emails diverted to her mobile; let her know that (because you work soooooooo HARD during the day) you only get to check your emails late at night :-( and now that you know her emails go to her mobile phone, you'll avoid beeping her so late ;-)

I know that she is generally splendid, KB, but in this instance she is being an imbecile. The whole point of emails is you don't have to reply to them until YOU decide. Emailing someone is like leaving a message on their voicemail, or leaving them a written note. The whole point of it is time-shifting. She must be stressed out to have responded so peculiarly.

xx

Thanks for your reassurance guys- I did think she was being a little unreasonable but I'm so used to her having these 'moments' that I begin to wonder if I'm the one being unreasonable! Good plan Teek- I should definitely put that one into action! I did email her back apologising if I had been sending her emails at 'the wrong time of day', not because I actually thought I should apologise, I was just hoping she would see how ridiculous she was being! KB

Blackberries are the work of the devil! They have no other purpose than stressing us out.

Are emails like text messages now? First thing I've heard of it, if they are. I can't add to what has already been said, but only offer solidariski in the face of such injustice.

She doesn't even have a blackberry lol! KB

Ahhh, so she has no excuse about her phone beeping and waking her then.... just that she's stroppy :p crazy behaviour!

======= Date Modified 11 Aug 2010 18:09:36 =======
Have just had a sort-of-friendly debate with her about the whole email in the evening issue. She said she hoped her email hadn't upset me, but apparently she just wanted to finish her emails and unwind. So I pointed out that I wasn't expecting her to reply the same evening, I just happened to be dealing with my emails at that point and she could have left it to the next day. She said that she couldn't have left it to the next day and that I should have saved it as a draft and sent it to her in the morning. To which I pointed out that I was out testing participants the whole of the following day so wouldn't have access to my computer to send it to her, not to mention the fact that I have a memory impairment and might forget the next day. Then she said that I should leave a note for myself to remind me. To which I said it really would be easier to send it right away and for her to leave it until the next day. She disagreed with me but said that 'some' emails were acceptable at that time of night, but not others. I didn't even get into the debate of what was acceptable and what wasn't, I just couldn't face it! It wasn't a heated argument, more just banter, but she was actually serious! I think I actually have a mad supervisor, I hope I don't end up like this if I work with her much longer, it could be catching!!!! Best, KB

Oh my goodness - the woman is utterly deranged!!!!! (sprout) I take it she didn't say why she couldn't possibly leave the email until the next day? Surely that is her decision - I have emails from people and from companies that come at all times of the night and day - strangely enough (being slightly saner although that is debateable at times) I can force myself to sometimes *whispers* not even open them at the time! So she is seriously suggesting that you write your email, save it as a draft, then write a post it note (always a good excuse to get a funky new post it note pad specially for the woman) and then attach said note to your computer to send the email, but only in working hours, and only if the moon is in direct alignment with jupiter, but mars but under no account be in the same area of the sky as venus!

Here kb - have a mincepie (mince), hang on, I think you need more... (gift), you deserve and need it!!!