#include <std/disclaimer.h>

Mine is very simple:

#include

It is supposed to be interpreted as "The views expressed are mine and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of my employer".

hate them. end of story.

there is nothing more pointless than an received in error disclaimer.

OK, I admit. The Google way is definitely the least disturbing one.
T.T.'s view makes a lot of sense, but then again, most of these people send their disclaimer every time. Do you really need a disclaimer for a lunch meeting?

They can just insert these things when needed right?

By the way - I actually don't mind them in e-mails and I do like the way Google's solved this one. Compliments for that.

Nice post Boris.

Luckily we don't use disclaimers but I do receive some mails with disclaimers in them. The disclaimer of Google got my attention a month ago. Keeping it light by mixing 'I made an error' with legal in a nice tone of voice, topped up with a bit of recruitment.
If people keep using them - which I do understand because when someone is being stupid, lazy or ignorant they might stand stronger from a legal perspective when the recipient decides to release this info - I would rather read something like this (if I read them):

"Wow you have made it down to my disclaimer, congratulations! It's not a lot of text so please feel free to read it. Google regards the contents of this
e-mail as being confidential. If it is not meant for you please tell me about my goof up and delete the e-mail. Also be aware that Google does not enter into any legally binding obligations by way of an e-mail conversation. We
only do so by way of agreements that have been laid down on paper and bear the cool stamp of our legal partment. These agreements should also have been signed by the appropriate Google director. On a lighter note, I have a lot
of fun working for Google. Did you know that Google Nederland has recently been elected 'Greatest Place to Work' for 2008? If you are interested please
do have a look at our current job openings at www.google.nl/jobs."

I have a friend whose company's disclaimer states that
"if you are not the intended recipient of this message you are hereby forbidden from reading.."
at the bottom of the email. After you've read it. Brilliant.

My understanding is that one of the most desirable reasons for such disclaimers is in case of email interception, inaproppriate forwarding and possible viewing by post-masters/system admin etc.

Anyone working with personal information, protected information, novel intellectual property, etc. doesn't want themselves, their employer or their clients to be stung further down the line due to inaproppropriate dissemination of such information. Disclaimers, if nothing else, at least display the intent of privacy/protection of such information. To my mind to anyone working in any field dealing with the above sources of information disclaimers are potentially useful, particularly whilst there remains a relatively low precedence for the significance of email conversations in the court of law.

In my line of work, it would be totally soul-destroying if I were to submit a patent application on a novel idea or invention and this application failed, undoing years of hard work, because someone who I had disclosed this idea to via email had then forwarded this email or further disclosed the information. By including a disclaimer in any such communications, if nothing else, this would at least show the information was intended to go no further, and to no one else other than, the recipient. Without such evidence one would be powerless to make a counter-claim. In the U.K. the data protection act makes such disclaimers essential for organisations such as the National Health Service.

Some information as to why disclaimers might be used can be found here: http://www.emaildisclaimers.com/

I was already starting to worry that people actually find them useful instead of offending, ugly, annoying etc... ;) so it's 3 out of 3 (for now)...

After reading your comment and re-reading mine :) I realize that it sounds like I'm for the disclosures. Allow me to just emphasize that I hate them as well and anyone who is sending information like i described above, without verifying the email address is an idiot and shouldn't be sending emails at all. :)

Let those disclaimers burn in hell! (I really print and burn them)

I get John's point, but if sensitive information would be sent, it's probably requisted not to long ago (so the right e-mail address is probably known by the sender). And then again, if somebody is going to sent important information shouldn't he INSTEAD OF THE RECEIVER be the one that takes all the care in sending the right stuff to the the right man?!

I get the idea about these disclaimers but hate them (at least) as much as Boris does.
If you're that scared about what consequences your e-mails might have when read by to the wrong receiver, don't send them at all.

(If your not the rightful reader of this comment please forget this comment within the next three minutes)

I know that some companies do it because it contains sensitive personal information and if someones email address has changed for example if I'm john@joecompany.com and I get fired but another john gets hired. They protect themselves by stating that if you are not the intended recipient please delete.