Do you write a thank-you reply?

[Fakesmile]

Whenever you ask a question to prof via email and the prof replies you back, do you email back a thank-you reply?
I usually don't, because I say this in my original email. But I wonder if it's necessary to send the prof a second email just thanking the prof for the reply, even if I did it the first time.

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[Pedsbro]

I often do, just to be courteous. I highly doubt anything bad will come of you if you do not though...

 

[justpremed]

i usually just say a quick thanks, that really helped. and leave it at that

 

[silverhorse84]

I always said "thanks in advance" in my original email, so I never sent a reply to their reply

 

[Ubergeek]

Not that I particularly care one way or the other, but some people find "thanks in advance" offensive.

Strunk and White in their "The Elements of Style" point to this phrase as an example of a commonly misused expression. They say that this phrase, "sounds as if the writer meant, 'It will not be worth my while to write to you again.'" Better to just send a short one-liner thanking the prof if you think the help warrants it.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

I always said "thanks in advance" in my original email, so I never sent a reply to their reply

Agreed. Save your profs the two seconds it will take them to read and delete the email. They like it when students don't waste their time.

If you want to still say thanks without sending a follow up email, you can always thank them in person next time to you them.

 

[ncguy2005]

I think sending a "thank you" email would annoy me personally if was the professor to recieve one... Especially around test times when you know their email box is going to be full of student emails...why crowd their box even more?