You can’t fault organizations for being careful. They have a number of things to guard against including everything from terrorists, to lost trade secrets, libel, and potential violence.
That’s why emails are routinely subjected to programs that search for dangerous words and suggestive remarks. The latest software is very sophisticated. It doesn’t just hunt for words and phrases such as “insider trading,” or “breaking the law.”
Some programs such as those by Cataphora, described in Fortune, additionally search for language that seems intentionally vague. It catches phrases such as “that thing we talked about,” and “what we spoke of the other day when we talked about the other thing.” And it catches words that indicate negative emotions, such as confused, bewildered, lost sleep, and regret.
Some programs examine any shift in email habits. If you usually use email in the afternoon, for example, and you suddenly begin sending messages in the middle of the night, the program will point that out.
For many people, however, emails that simply show a lack in judgment can wreak the most havoc. Remember that anything you write can be forwarded instantly to hundreds of others and to blogs where you may be ridiculed.
To keep email working for you the way it should:
Stick to business topics. Be concise and clear.
Keep it short and to the point, no small talk that could be misunderstood.
Know what types of words and phrases company software programs target and don’t use them.
Always keep common sense and good values in mind.