anderson@ittvax.UUCP (Scott Anderson) (09/29/83)
How do the people in this newsgroup handle addressing someone whose first name is unknown? For instance, you read in your employee handbook that your contact in Personnel is J. Smith. For the purposes of this exercise, you're not allowed to write a letter to "Dear J. Smith"; you must telephone. Someone answers, "Personel, may I help you?" And you answer: "May I speak to ..." Fill in the blank. In the past, you could just say, "Mr. Smith," but in 1983, it might be (probably is) Ms. Smith. Just "Smith" sounds rather abrupt. Should you assume one sex and allow yourself to be corrected if you're wrong? Use the first initial? Other creative ideas I haven't thought of? (Since "Mx" is not yet an accepted asexual honorific, it doesn't count.) Thanks, Scott D. Anderson decvax!ittvax!anderson