James Button, Europe Correspondent, London

September 2, 2006

THE story of Lucy Gao - like that of London lawyer Claire Swire - is a cautionary tale for high-tech times. Two weeks ago Ms Gao, an intern at Citigroup bank in London, emailed instructions to her friends regarding her 21st birthday party at the Ritz Hotel.

One guest sent the message to a colleague. It raced around Citigroup. Within days it had circled the globe. "I can't contain myself," said one forwarder. Another wrote: "I don't like to spread things . but you just HAVE to read this ."

In 2000 Claire Swire sent her boyfriend an email praising his sexual prowess; he forwarded it to mates, who sent it to the world. Ms Gao didn't write anything steamy. She simply seemed a little uptight about her party.

Under the heading, INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENTRY, she advised guests how to talk to Ritz staff: "When asked, 'How can I help you Sir/Madame?' you reply, "I am here for Lucy's Birthday Party at the Rivoli Bar." Guests were to arrive at 15-minute intervals; photos would be taken at 10, candles blown out at 10.30.

Guests were given advice on what to wear: "It goes without saying that the more upper-class you dress, the less likely you shall be denied entry."

Ms Gao's colleagues forwarded the message beneath barbed remarks.

Too late, Ms Gao sent a desperate email within Citigroup reading: "I am sorry if you found the content of the invitation details offensive and I am glad to entertain. Please stop now."

Last weekend the story reached the British press and even a newspaper in the Middle East. Workmates rushed to defend Ms Gao, who was said to be hurt and in hiding.

"My original email was supposed to be a joke between me and my guests but hey, ppl kinda interpret it wrong once it got fwded to the World and out of control . . . never mind," she emailed another finance worker.

She is not alone. Last year lawyer Richard Phillips resigned after the circulation of an email ordering his secretary to pay a £4 ($A9.95) cleaning bill for a tomato sauce stain on his trousers.

Tim Soutphommasane, an Australian PhD student, says: "I wonder whether email has made it easier for us to become more sadistic, since there's so little effort in forwarding an email."

On the other hand, few of us can resist the tantalising glimpse a private message allows into another person's life. Yet we should be wary. In the age of email we are all separated by just six degrees of humiliation.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/email-elicits-global-sniggers/2006/09/01/1156817099288.html