Email is extremely powerful, it is the most used product in the online world, but many people simply don't know how to use it. This post will be my rant on how people don't properly use the reply versus the reply all button.

When to Use the Reply All:
When you get an email that is copied to many people and where all parties can benefit from your response, you should use the reply all. For example, someone is scheduling a meeting and it involved five parties. If one person replies all that they cannot make it, then the others know they need to wait for the host to reschedule. Other examples are when you are asking for feedback on a project that several people are working on. There are tons of good examples when this should be used.

When Not to Use the Reply All:
On an email chain, when you forward a joke to your 100 friends. Do not reply all to that email, it will start a swarm of unwanted and time wasting remarks about a joke email. No one has the time or the patience to get these responses. Also, when you are BCCed on an email, typically, the reply all button should be disabled in these cases. To reply all when you are BCCed undermines the one who BCCed you.

Now the same applies above, just in the reverse for when to reply direct to an email.

There is my rant.