When will they ever learn?

The recent publication of the emails showing Alberto Gonzales’s involvement in the firing of US Attorneys, will be the final nudge to push him out of his office. He lied to the Congress and the press, as nobody can challenge the veracity of emails.

As an Information Technology professional, I find it amusing that most of the high powered executives and politicians still have not understood the tremendous risk of using emails to communicate. Why is email so risky? First, all emails are permanent. It never goes away. Of course, you and the recipient can delete it; but a copy of it is saved forever in the mail severs which transmitted it. Once your email address is known, it will take an IT expert only a few minutes to retrieve all the emails you have ever sent and received! As one columnist wrote, ‘Don't ever put anything in an e-mail that you wouldn't want to read on the jumbotron at Times Square’. Second, email is a ‘discoverable’ document. In other words, email is a valid legal document which can be submitted as evidence in the court. Imagine you being held to account for all the exaggerations and vague promises you have made in your emails. It is not a pleasant thought. Wonder why many of the high profile cases now a days quickly come to an admission of guilt? It is because there invariably is an email trail breaking the case wide open. People like Former Congressman Mark Foley and Boeing ex-CEO Harry Stonecipher, will attest to this fact.