It appears few email users ever consider whether it makes sense for everyone to receive their thoughts.
In a recent New York Times article, writer David Pogue asked his readers "How to Handle the Dreaded ‘Reply All Moment’"
Here were some of their suggestions:
1. Resend a corrected version of the same message four times. The flood of identical emails may minimize the amount of attention attracted by the first one.
2. Resort to deception. Blame a computer virus or a young child.
3. Enlist someone you have good rapport with to Reply All to your Reply All, and say something funny to cut the tension.
4. In general, though, the wisest course seems to be quick action and a huge helping of humble pie. “You own it, make apologies, spend 48 hours in shame, and move on.”
Here's how to avoid the fiasco in the first place:
Enter the address last. Compose the email, and only then go back and enter the address(es). This technique requires extra steps, but it guarantees you’ll never accidentally Reply to All.
Give yourself an “Oh no!” window. In some email programs, you can set up a freakout delay. Your email will wait 60 seconds (or more) after you click Send, giving you a window in which to realize your gaffe and stop the message in its tracks. Other programs allow you to "unsend" the offending email.
Think, people, think.
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