Was a professor correct to chastise me for writing “Dear Prof. X” rather than “Dear Professor X”?
I emailed a Professor Mill [not his real surname], whom I've never met and don't know in person, regarding typos in, and questions on, his book. I commenced my email with this salutation
Dear Prof. Mill
He then replied
It is customary to address professors by their title in full, just as most people would not abbreviate the full names of people whom they do not know well.
His unpleasantness startled me. Is he correct?
I don't think he is, as I don't recall anyone who has written Mr. in full, as Mister or even Master.
asked 3 hours ago
AntinatalistAntinatalist
263
add a comment |
I emailed a Professor Mill [not his real surname], whom I've never met and don't know in person, regarding typos in, and questions on, his book. I commenced my email with this salutation
Dear Prof. Mill
He then replied
It is customary to address professors by their title in full, just as most people would not abbreviate the full names of people whom they do not know well.
His unpleasantness startled me. Is he correct?
I don't think he is, as I don't recall anyone who has written Mr. in full, as Mister or even Master.
asked 3 hours ago
AntinatalistAntinatalist
263
@NateEldredge Yes...I'll remove it.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
2
Wow, Prof Mill is full of him/herself. I could care less about whether someone spelled my title or name incorrectly. Hell, they can write Dear Santa Claus in place of my real name and I would hardly blink.
– Prof. Santa Claus
2 hours ago
1
@Cag51 Ah OK! I'll add "chastise" back.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
It is customary to address professors by their title in full — (sigh) No, sir, it is not.
– JeffE
25 mins ago
add a comment |
I emailed a Professor Mill [not his real surname], whom I've never met and don't know in person, regarding typos in, and questions on, his book. I commenced my email with this salutation
Dear Prof. Mill
He then replied
It is customary to address professors by their title in full, just as most people would not abbreviate the full names of people whom they do not know well.
His unpleasantness startled me. Is he correct?
I don't think he is, as I don't recall anyone who has written Mr. in full, as Mister or even Master.
asked 3 hours ago
AntinatalistAntinatalist
263
I emailed a Professor Mill [not his real surname], whom I've never met and don't know in person, regarding typos in, and questions on, his book. I commenced my email with this salutation
Dear Prof. Mill
He then replied
It is customary to address professors by their title in full, just as most people would not abbreviate the full names of people whom they do not know well.
His unpleasantness startled me. Is he correct?
I don't think he is, as I don't recall anyone who has written Mr. in full, as Mister or even Master.
asked 3 hours ago
AntinatalistAntinatalist
263
asked 3 hours ago
AntinatalistAntinatalist
263
edited 2 hours ago
Antinatalist
asked 3 hours ago
AntinatalistAntinatalist
263
asked 3 hours ago
AntinatalistAntinatalist
263
asked 3 hours ago
AntinatalistAntinatalist
263
263
@NateEldredge Yes...I'll remove it.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
2
Wow, Prof Mill is full of him/herself. I could care less about whether someone spelled my title or name incorrectly. Hell, they can write Dear Santa Claus in place of my real name and I would hardly blink.
– Prof. Santa Claus
2 hours ago
1
@Cag51 Ah OK! I'll add "chastise" back.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
It is customary to address professors by their title in full — (sigh) No, sir, it is not.
– JeffE
25 mins ago
add a comment |
@NateEldredge Yes...I'll remove it.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
2
Wow, Prof Mill is full of him/herself. I could care less about whether someone spelled my title or name incorrectly. Hell, they can write Dear Santa Claus in place of my real name and I would hardly blink.
– Prof. Santa Claus
2 hours ago
1
@Cag51 Ah OK! I'll add "chastise" back.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
It is customary to address professors by their title in full — (sigh) No, sir, it is not.
– JeffE
25 mins ago
@NateEldredge Yes...I'll remove it.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
@NateEldredge Yes...I'll remove it.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
2
2
Wow, Prof Mill is full of him/herself. I could care less about whether someone spelled my title or name incorrectly. Hell, they can write Dear Santa Claus in place of my real name and I would hardly blink.
– Prof. Santa Claus
2 hours ago
Wow, Prof Mill is full of him/herself. I could care less about whether someone spelled my title or name incorrectly. Hell, they can write Dear Santa Claus in place of my real name and I would hardly blink.
– Prof. Santa Claus
2 hours ago
1
1
@Cag51 Ah OK! I'll add "chastise" back.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
@Cag51 Ah OK! I'll add "chastise" back.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
1
It is customary to address professors by their title in full — (sigh) No, sir, it is not.
– JeffE
25 mins ago
It is customary to address professors by their title in full — (sigh) No, sir, it is not.
– JeffE
25 mins ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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oldest
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What a jerk! No, writing "Prof." is perfectly fine; his reaction is both incorrect and completely inappropriate. I cannot imagine any professor I know (even the ones I don't like) writing such a thing.
What country is this guy in? Some countries (e.g., Germany) have stricter rules for such things, but I'm still shocked he would respond like this.
regarding typos in ... his book
Ah. Is it possible he's being snarky about your abbreviation since you criticized his typos? If your e-mail had a condescending tone, maybe he is trying to "bite back." That's the only thing I can think of.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.2k63564
In view of academia.stackexchange.com/questions/127175/…, I'd rather not identify which Prof. M. But I'll say that he's definitely an Anglophone, from a (former?) Commonwealth or the US.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
"Is it possible he's being snarky about your grammar since you criticized his": Possibly? But I pointed out objective mistakes as to fact, not grammatical ones.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
Thanks for info. Deleting my comment with the unredacted name.
– cag51
2 hours ago
No problem! But I think his real surname is in my post history anyways....
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
"biting back" like that is still unprofessional even if provoked
– Thomas
1 hour ago
|
show 2 more comments
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1 Answer
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What a jerk! No, writing "Prof." is perfectly fine; his reaction is both incorrect and completely inappropriate. I cannot imagine any professor I know (even the ones I don't like) writing such a thing.
What country is this guy in? Some countries (e.g., Germany) have stricter rules for such things, but I'm still shocked he would respond like this.
regarding typos in ... his book
Ah. Is it possible he's being snarky about your abbreviation since you criticized his typos? If your e-mail had a condescending tone, maybe he is trying to "bite back." That's the only thing I can think of.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.2k63564
In view of academia.stackexchange.com/questions/127175/…, I'd rather not identify which Prof. M. But I'll say that he's definitely an Anglophone, from a (former?) Commonwealth or the US.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
"Is it possible he's being snarky about your grammar since you criticized his": Possibly? But I pointed out objective mistakes as to fact, not grammatical ones.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
Thanks for info. Deleting my comment with the unredacted name.
– cag51
2 hours ago
No problem! But I think his real surname is in my post history anyways....
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
"biting back" like that is still unprofessional even if provoked
– Thomas
1 hour ago
|
show 2 more comments
What a jerk! No, writing "Prof." is perfectly fine; his reaction is both incorrect and completely inappropriate. I cannot imagine any professor I know (even the ones I don't like) writing such a thing.
What country is this guy in? Some countries (e.g., Germany) have stricter rules for such things, but I'm still shocked he would respond like this.
regarding typos in ... his book
Ah. Is it possible he's being snarky about your abbreviation since you criticized his typos? If your e-mail had a condescending tone, maybe he is trying to "bite back." That's the only thing I can think of.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.2k63564
In view of academia.stackexchange.com/questions/127175/…, I'd rather not identify which Prof. M. But I'll say that he's definitely an Anglophone, from a (former?) Commonwealth or the US.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
"Is it possible he's being snarky about your grammar since you criticized his": Possibly? But I pointed out objective mistakes as to fact, not grammatical ones.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
Thanks for info. Deleting my comment with the unredacted name.
– cag51
2 hours ago
No problem! But I think his real surname is in my post history anyways....
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
"biting back" like that is still unprofessional even if provoked
– Thomas
1 hour ago
|
show 2 more comments
What a jerk! No, writing "Prof." is perfectly fine; his reaction is both incorrect and completely inappropriate. I cannot imagine any professor I know (even the ones I don't like) writing such a thing.
What country is this guy in? Some countries (e.g., Germany) have stricter rules for such things, but I'm still shocked he would respond like this.
regarding typos in ... his book
Ah. Is it possible he's being snarky about your abbreviation since you criticized his typos? If your e-mail had a condescending tone, maybe he is trying to "bite back." That's the only thing I can think of.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.2k63564
What a jerk! No, writing "Prof." is perfectly fine; his reaction is both incorrect and completely inappropriate. I cannot imagine any professor I know (even the ones I don't like) writing such a thing.
What country is this guy in? Some countries (e.g., Germany) have stricter rules for such things, but I'm still shocked he would respond like this.
regarding typos in ... his book
Ah. Is it possible he's being snarky about your abbreviation since you criticized his typos? If your e-mail had a condescending tone, maybe he is trying to "bite back." That's the only thing I can think of.
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.2k63564
edited 2 hours ago
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.2k63564
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.2k63564
answered 3 hours ago
cag51cag51
17.2k63564
17.2k63564
In view of academia.stackexchange.com/questions/127175/…, I'd rather not identify which Prof. M. But I'll say that he's definitely an Anglophone, from a (former?) Commonwealth or the US.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
"Is it possible he's being snarky about your grammar since you criticized his": Possibly? But I pointed out objective mistakes as to fact, not grammatical ones.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
Thanks for info. Deleting my comment with the unredacted name.
– cag51
2 hours ago
No problem! But I think his real surname is in my post history anyways....
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
"biting back" like that is still unprofessional even if provoked
– Thomas
1 hour ago
|
show 2 more comments
In view of academia.stackexchange.com/questions/127175/…, I'd rather not identify which Prof. M. But I'll say that he's definitely an Anglophone, from a (former?) Commonwealth or the US.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
"Is it possible he's being snarky about your grammar since you criticized his": Possibly? But I pointed out objective mistakes as to fact, not grammatical ones.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
Thanks for info. Deleting my comment with the unredacted name.
– cag51
2 hours ago
No problem! But I think his real surname is in my post history anyways....
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
"biting back" like that is still unprofessional even if provoked
– Thomas
1 hour ago
In view of academia.stackexchange.com/questions/127175/…, I'd rather not identify which Prof. M. But I'll say that he's definitely an Anglophone, from a (former?) Commonwealth or the US.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
In view of academia.stackexchange.com/questions/127175/…, I'd rather not identify which Prof. M. But I'll say that he's definitely an Anglophone, from a (former?) Commonwealth or the US.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
"Is it possible he's being snarky about your grammar since you criticized his": Possibly? But I pointed out objective mistakes as to fact, not grammatical ones.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
"Is it possible he's being snarky about your grammar since you criticized his": Possibly? But I pointed out objective mistakes as to fact, not grammatical ones.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
Thanks for info. Deleting my comment with the unredacted name.
– cag51
2 hours ago
Thanks for info. Deleting my comment with the unredacted name.
– cag51
2 hours ago
No problem! But I think his real surname is in my post history anyways....
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
No problem! But I think his real surname is in my post history anyways....
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
1
"biting back" like that is still unprofessional even if provoked
– Thomas
1 hour ago
"biting back" like that is still unprofessional even if provoked
– Thomas
1 hour ago
|
show 2 more comments
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@NateEldredge Yes...I'll remove it.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
2
Wow, Prof Mill is full of him/herself. I could care less about whether someone spelled my title or name incorrectly. Hell, they can write Dear Santa Claus in place of my real name and I would hardly blink.
– Prof. Santa Claus
2 hours ago
1
@Cag51 Ah OK! I'll add "chastise" back.
– Antinatalist
2 hours ago
1
It is customary to address professors by their title in full — (sigh) No, sir, it is not.
– JeffE
25 mins ago