About the Usefulness of Out of Office Messages

> But there's nothing like sending out a note to a PR person to say,
> "Help, I need a response TODAY!" and getting back an "I'm on vacation"
> message which, at least, lets me know I won't get help from _that_
> quarter. Otherwise I just have to assume I'm being ignored.

Or perhaps they are too busy to read your email.
Or perhaps the spam system ate it.
Or perhaps it never got there (yet).
Or perhaps they are trying to contact someone else before responding to you.
Or they did respond, but _their_ message got lost or delayed or eaten somewhere.

Or perhaps they really are just ignoring you!

Summary: you cannot infer anything useful from a lack of response, other than the fact that you haven't received a response. If it is important, use the telephone.

From a response in the Exim Mailing List by Jethro R Binks, 08-Jan-2008