Let’s All Enjoy This ‘Reply All’ Misadventure From the Virginia Society of CPAs Open Forum

How can you best annoy dozens of accountants in the midst of tax season? Well, in the age of the internet, a reply all mishap will do just fine.

A tipster sent us a link to Virginia Society of CPAs' Open Forum thread that started innocently enough. An anonymous user posted a question about an estate tax return. The next four replies in the thread all include helpful responses of one sort or another. Due to a glitch, however, all members started receiving the responses and that's when things start going off the rails:

Hi,

I did not submit this question.

Thanks.

Good morning,
I did not submit this question.
Have a good day.

Best,

I have no idea why this is coming to me

Not do I.

Sent from my iPhone

I didn't send it either.  I think this email "group" is sort of over-extended.

Good morning,

I didn't submit this question.

Thanks,

There is a glitch on the forum were all members are being notified of responses.  The VSCPA has been notified and is looking into the issue.  In the meantime, let's not respond anymore.

And because this is the internet, when someone says, "Let's stop responding," that is the cue for everyone to start responding:

I did not submit this question.  Please remove me.

Thanks

Perhaps everyone should stop replying to all to tell people not to reply to all.

Please stop replying to all!

Seriously, stop responding to all.

It should be noted that one of the responders in this above group has no fewer than six sets of letters behind his name. Shall we continue?

I can't feel my legs.

When this happens and I suddenly get a zillion mails from all the stressed out tax CPAs, I rejoice that I work in industry

replying all to tell people to stop replying all always works like a charm. keep up the good work.

Why did I get this forty times

Sent from my iPhone

After a while we get to some mansplaining:

Everyone can stop sending me responses about how they are not the anonymous poster.

I did not email you directly. I merely hit "Reply to Group".  There was no "Reply to Sender".

The original message was from "Anonymous".

Apparently the way this thing works needs a little adjustment.

Have a great day!!

"reply to sender" is right next to "reply to group"

Then the trolling begins:

Thanks [guy above], appreciate the update and great tax advice. How's your bracket looking this year? Anyway I can deduct my losses on this? MSU really screwed me…

Why is everyone responding to this with the same exact response?

I see what you did there.

Why are you responding to the people that are responding with the same exact response if you don't even know why they're responding?  That is the real question.

Yes. Stop responding to responders that respond to other responders with an unknown response. Be responsible!

Sent from my iPhone

Ok this "Reply to Group" is the very last one.  This is to tell everyone else not to click "Reply to Group".   So don't reply all and say stop replying all or that you didn't ask a question.  Ok this should take care of it I look forward to this being the very last email. 

The very next message:

Stop replying all!!!

This goes on for about 40 responses or so and then finally someone loses it:

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. THE EXCESSIVE EMAILS ARE THE RESULT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE WHINING ABOUT RECEIVING THE ORIGINAL EMAIL. STOP COMPLAIN AND GO TO YOUR VSCPA ACCOUNT AND CHANGE YOUR PREFERENCES OR BLOCK THE ADDRESS ALTOGETHER.

It's in the 60s before we get our first and only meme:

THIS

All told, 84 responses. Well done, Virginia CPAs.

See also:
A Severe Breakout of Reply All Emails Gets One Frustrated PwC Employee to Admit That the Firm Is "Just a Bunch of Idiots"