Friday column: Before you hit the 'Send' button ...

A while back I decided to never send a meaningful e-mail without letting some time pass between the writing and the sending — preferably a full day.

You ask why?

Really?

Like you’ve never clicked on Send and thought, “I really wish I had that back … ”

Maybe I shouldn’t have worded the e-mail that way. Maybe I shouldn’t have blown off spell-check. Maybe that phrase — as colorful as it is — shouldn’t have been applied to (my boss, my banker, my mother-in-law, my fill-in-the-blank).

The problem with instant communication is, well, it’s so … instant. And if it’s a problem for a cautious 58-year-old journalist, imagine the problem it can be for a brash 20-something athlete with a Twitter account.

Such as Washington linebacker Robert Henson, who after his team was booed in Sunday’s 9-7 win over the Rams, wrote the following:

“All you fake half hearted Skins fan can … I won’t go there but I dislike you very strongly, don’t come to Fed Ex to boo dim wits!!”

As if calling his team’s fans dim wits wasn’t enough, he added, “The question is who are you to say you know what’s best for the team and you work 9 to 5 at Mcdonalds.”

One might riposte that at least those who work at McDonalds work at McDonalds. Henson, on the other hand, hasn’t been on the field for a single play in the first two games of the season.

Later — I imagine shortly after a brief discussion with the people who sign his paychecks — Henson apologized for his remarks. Even better, he deleted his Twitter account. But his cached remarks will live forever.

As will those of Kansas basketball player Tyshawn Taylor, who decided not only was it a good idea to get into a fight with some Jayhawk football players Tuesday, but it was a good idea to talk about it on Facebook.

“I got a dislocated finger … from throwing a punch … so don’t let the news paper gas yall up aite,” Taylor wrote.
Later, Taylor posted, “(racial slur)s be muggin me … you know I’m mugging back.”

All of which might make it difficult for Taylor to deny involvement in the melee if it comes time for police to file charges.

This year, Google offered its Gmail users a way to “undo” a sent e-mail within five seconds of it being lobbed into cyberspace. To my knowledge, there’s no comparable way to undo a Tweet or Facebook message.

Even if there were, you can take it from the examples of Messrs. Henson and Taylor — for that matter, you can take it from me — that five seconds is not nearly long enough.

Contact Jim Gordon at gjames43@msn.com.