UnSend: Email, text, and social media disasters...and how to avoid them

by Kent Alan Robinson

“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.”
Rudyard Kipling

UnSend: Email, text, and social media disasters…and how to avoid them deconstructs recent disasters arising from the use of electronic communication. The stories act as modern parables teaching lessons that are applicable to all who these mediums. Some of the stories included are:

• Steve Jobs, George Lucas, and other tech CEOs documented an illegal agreement by email resulting in a $415 million settlement.
• One email to one client led to four federal investigations for the sender.
• Both the sender and the recipient were convicted by an eight-word text.
• An email ignored contributed to a $7 billion fine.
• The CFO who was fired the same day he posted a YouTube video.

This book is essential reading for anyone who emails, texts, or uses social media.

206 pages, Paperback

Published November 25, 2016

Reviews

[Kent Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In conducting research for "UnSend: Email, text, and social media disasters…and how to avoid them", several recurring themes emerged. No one is immune from being ensnared by electronic communication. This extends from the average person to CEOs. A single email, text, or posting may define a person’s public life. This can result in careers being upended and multibillion-dollar lawsuits. The good news is that email, text, and social media disasters are often preventable.

The devastation unleashed on the lives of individuals from their own words is illustrated in "UnSend" through examples of different mistakes. More than a catalogue of recent calamities, analyses of the real world competitive pressures, deadline constraints, and client expectations that led to the errant messages are included as well. By deconstructing these scenarios, each chapter provides guidance to help the reader learn from the wreckage left by others.

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clicking "send" can result in a catastrophe. This book takes you through several real-life examples where people, who should have known better, clicked "send" and it turned disastrous. We know electronic communication is never fully private, but the author demonstrates in each story just how anything you send digitally can come under scrutiny if you aren't mindful of what you write.

I received a copy via Goodreads giveaways.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won a copy of this book.

Can we just make this a mandatory read? Like, if you buy a computer this book is included in the package deal. The book deals with all the major email events that have been seen on the news (Hillary, Bridge Gate, Steve Jobs, etc) as of late. Great read!

As a side note, why can these people not spell? It seriously takes 2 seconds to scan through your email to make sure things are spelled correctly...and correct them with auto correct.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from Goodread Giveaways. Thank you!

Fascinating read. All of us in the business world know about the disasters of Enron and the players in the Sherman Act litigation. However, presenting them in terms of the emails that served as evidence... brilliant. I'm passing this book to colleagues.

[Eddy Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won my copy from good reads first reads. I'm glad I did. Very interesting and scary to learn how an easy mistake can become a large damaging one.

[Carol Stephan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book chronicles recent disasters made by large corporations through e-mail and social media that resulted in disaster for both individuals and the company. The book is concise in an easy-to-read format and would be an excellent tool for Human Resource departments or manager and employee training. It also would be a good resource for college students studying business or communications. The book also provides a 33-page bibliography at the back of the book.

While this book doesn't cover the subject of individual e-mails of a social nature, there are lessons for all who use these mediums.

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

[Monica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking.... the electronic impact that we have in the world is frightening in so many ways. This book sheds some light that should be common sense to most people, but in reality so many do not think about. Makes me want to unplug more and more.

[Ken · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great job Kent Alan Robinson did with Unsend. I wish I’d read this book in the early 80’s when business letters were the forerunner of email. It certainly would have taught us a lesson to be ever vigilant of anything we put in writing. Oliver North sent out the 1st signal with his email exposing the Iran–Contra affair. This book brings to the forefront many of the current email that sank quite a few ships globally. It gives excellent accounts of the bond market, and sub- prime explosion of the housing market. A most informative read!