Watch What You Say in Your $*@&^#% Emails
It may be that it's Monday morning as I write this but I have to admit I got a kick out of the news articles circulating late last week that reported that Goldman Sachs has revised its electronic communications policy to prohibit the use of any profanity in emails. The edict apparently results from emails that became public during Senate hearings investigating allegations that Goldman Sachs had misled its clients by selling risky mortgage securities while at the same time betting on a housing market crash. One email apparently referred to a particular investment the company had just sold to a client as a "s----y deal." I'm guessing that email wouldn't have looked any better if it had simply referred to the deal as "bad." Presumably, Goldman Sachs is also reminding its employees not to put anything into their emails that is likely to result in a government investigation.
