Contribution Guidelines

Thank you for your suggestion to extend the dictionary! You can add a new error code on this site’s Github page.

The Scope & Tone of Error Codes

These texts are meant to elucidate common patterns in human-to-human e-mail communication and to do so in a light and funny way. While sometimes using strong words, entries may never be harming, destructive or in any other way carry ad hominem insults. Some of the pictured actions and reactions are already emotionally loaded, when appearing in real life. All the more it is important to write an entry about them in a clear, calm and embracing tone.

This is a fine line. When for example ERR_INSUFFICIENT_INPUT reads “Read the whole damn mail!”, this might be interpreted as against the previous paragraph. But on closer inspection it pictures the immediate and intimate reaction of the receiving user, which may in fact help the culprit to better understand, what is the problem.

Adding an Error Code

Dictionary entries have a certain structure, that should be respected. While this isn’t cast in stone, please deviate only, if there is a specific reason to.

ERR_ALL_CAPS. int—(Mood for error) then verbatim: “an error code usually received during e-mail conversations, when a dialog partner”, followed by the action of said partner. Any circumstances, in which the error occurs.

Any consequences of the error. See also generic term and My personal reaction!.

Legal Bits & Pieces

Please note, that with submitting an entry you agree, that your contribution will be placed under the same terms as the rest of this content, the CreativeCommons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC-BY-NC 3.0) license.

How to Create a Pull Request

See Github’s help page on how that works exactly (with screenshots!). Please try to make title and description of the change request meaningful and explain, why the entry should be added to the dictionary.