“Is there a more divisive valediction than the default ‘Sent From My iPhone’ sign-off?” Lara Williams writes for The Guardian. “When the iPhone first appeared, users were roundly condemned for their thinly veiled humblebrag among the mounting popularity of Apple products.”
“The message was clear: having an iPhone was so much more than having something on which you could make calls and browse the internet. It was a gorgeous trinket and elite lifestyle marker that signalled both sophistication and technological know-how,” Williams writes. “Membership of the club was something to be boasted about, and you could feel the conceit as users pressed send. The backlash was immediate.”
“Soon it was rarely seen, and if it did appear at the footer of an incoming email, rather than feeling contempt you thought: ‘Bless.’ By then it was little more than a charming throwback,” Williams writes. “Recently, however, the refrain has returned to our correspondence, but those using the sign-off can no longer be accused of not knowing how to switch it off (it’s easy) or gloating (it’s not a big deal). Rather the phrase has become an important part of online decorum. Including the sign off contains an innate apology for the brevity of the message. It begs forgiveness for any spelling or grammatical errors. It allows a little wiggle rooms for errant emojis. It is a nod of acknowledgement that you are on the hoof and doing as well as can be expected. And it works.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: A “divisive valediction” only to those without an iPhone.
Sent from my 128GB iPhone 6s Plus