Rabbis and e-mail strategy (Bava Batra 162)

There's a great piece of advice on today's daf (Bava Batra 162a). The Rabbis notice that most documents end with a restatement of the essential elements in the last line.

Rav Amram answers:

אין למדין משיטה אחרונה

We don't learn anything from the last line of a document

Rashbam explain that the Rabbis made this law because when people would tamper with a document, they would often add lines to the end of it. That way there were no erasure marks. By telling people not to read to the bottom (and making the last line invalid) they could ensure that no one would be swayed by the crooks.

But what if the Rabbis meant something different? Amram's statement can be read as a command "Don't learn anything from the last line of a document!" or it as an observation "we don't learn..." Rashbam read it as a command, I read it as an observation.

And if 2000 years ago we didn't read to the bottom of documents, then kal v'choer (how much the more so) we don't read to the end of e-mails and messages. Maybe we should take Rav Amram's advice: when you write an e-mail put a summary on the bottom. That way, those who read to the end will be reminded of your message and those who read close to the end but naturally stop will not miss anything.