Intern at HBO Made a Big Mistake Emailing Subscribers but the Internet's Reaction Is Great
June 15, 2023
An intern at HBO accidentally sent a mass email to a portion of the subscription service’s subscribers, but then something surprising happened.
In life, mistakes and errors happen. It’s a simple fact of life. As much as some people may try to be, perfection is not an attainable goal. People mess up at work, in the classroom and in relationships.
RELATED: Man Sees Frail 94-Year-Old & Gives Up 1st Class Seat on Plane in 'Christlike' Act of Kindness
However, while mistakes are often bad enough, the repercussions of those errors can be even worse. After a mistake, most fear that a supervisor, a parent or a teacher will come down on them with fire and fury. The fear of punishment can be crippling and debilitating.
But, when an intern at HBO mistakenly sent a blank test email to several of the streaming service’s subscribers, the internet responded with kindness and care instead of mockery and derision.
The incident happened in June 2021 after several people received an email in their inbox from HBO with the subject line “Integration Test Email #1,” according to Today.
The body of the email read, “This template is used by integration tests only.” There was nothing else, but it was still confusing to those who received the message.
Then on Twitter, HBO confirmed that it was, in fact, an intern who sent out the odd email.
RELATED: Teacher Snaps Photo Of 6-Year-Old's Act Of Kindness While On A Field Trip To The Zoo
HBO’s post read, “We mistakenly sent out an empty test email to a portion of our HBO Max mailing list this evening. We apologize for the inconvenience, and as the jokes pile in, yes, it was the intern. No, really. And we’re helping them through it.”
Twitter Users Respond With Messages of Kindness and Empathy For the Unnamed Intern
The sweet, kindhearted response from the streaming service was met with others mentioning times when they had messed up in the past.
The Microsoft Outlook Twitter account responded with kindness and a bit of humor.
“Dear Intern, we’ve all hit the send button before we should’ve. It happens to the best of us,” the account wrote.
One man mentioned the time he sent an email with a very unfortunate typo on behalf of a client.
“I once sent an email on behalf of a client regarding a response to a report by the American Lung Association that autocorrected to the American Lunch Association,” the message read.
RELATED: Strangers Flood Bullied Teen With Kindness And Help His Dreams Come True
A third person added that they confused the words “nurture” and “neuter” in an email.
“Dear Intern, I once used the word neuter instead of nurture in respect to how a company would deal with its clients and I’ve been ok, you will be too. Good luck!”
Another person wrote, “Mistakes happen. Don’t be hard on them. One lives and learns…”
The Twitter thread is filled with people recounting errors they’ve made in the past and encouraging the unnamed intern to keep their head up.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Shaquille O'Neal Shows Unthinkable Kindness to Family with 9 Kids, Plus Tips Struggling Waitress
Social media can be a mean and nasty place where it at times seems kindness goes to die. However, there are instances when people on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram respond with overwhelming kindness and love.
1 Peter 3:8 “Last of all, see that you are all in agreement; feeling for one another, loving one another like brothers, full of pity, without pride.”
We mistakenly sent out an empty test email to a portion of our HBO Max mailing list this evening. We apologize for the inconvenience, and as the jokes pile in, yes, it was the intern. No, really. And we’re helping them through it. ❤️
— MaxHelp (@maxhelp) June 18, 2021
LISTEN: Mom Hits 2 Million Dollar Jackpot After Spending Life Savings to Help Daughter Beat Cancer
h/t: Today, CBS News & Twitter.com/@MaxHelp
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/HBO | Unsplash/Mimi Thian
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for an Open Heart This Holiday Season - Your Daily Prayer - November 25
With so many traditions, travel, meals, and memories to be made, it can be easy to feel anxious and overwhelmed by what is ahead. However, God teaches us in Philippians not to worry about anything but to pray and share our petitions with Him with gratitude.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for an Open Heart This Holiday Season - Your Daily Prayer - November 25
With so many traditions, travel, meals, and memories to be made, it can be easy to feel anxious and overwhelmed by what is ahead. However, God teaches us in Philippians not to worry about anything but to pray and share our petitions with Him with gratitude.
Past Stories
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- Rescuer Braces for the Worst After Spotting Kitten on the Side of the Road, Then Sees a Paw Move
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
- Owner's Trip to the Vet with Unwell Dog Results in the Craziest X-Ray
- After Getting Lost in Yellowstone, This Precious Cat Made His Way Back Home To California
- Mom's Funny Response To Daughter's Dirty Sock On The Floor Goes Viral & Ends Up Doing Good
- A Kidnapped Boy Is Found After 70 Years and Reunited With His Family
- This Puppy Was Found With a Note That Read 'Help Me,' Now He's Looking For a New Home
- Excited Mom Couldn't Wait to See Son's Back to School Pictures, but Funny Results Make Her LOL
- When This Police Officer Pulled Her Over, He Changed Her Life Forever
- She Just Met Her Vietnam Veteran Father After 50 Years, Now He is Walking Her Down the Aisle
- Fearless Father Waits on Porch to Catch the Stranger Peeking in His Daughter's Window
- This 5th Grade Teacher Eats Lunch In the Cafeteria Every Day
- Amy Grant Has a New Perspective After Losing Her 'Superpower' in Bike Accident
- 'God Did It' Says 18-Year-Old After Waking Up From a Coma Following a Crash
Top Music Videos
CCM Magazine Matthew West | '18 Summers' (acoustic)
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Colton Dixon 'The Other Side' - Colton Dixon Song For Lost Loved Ones
Crowder Crowder's Powerful 'Somebody Prayed' Lyric Video
Bill and Gloria Gaither Wintley Phipps - It Is Well With My Soul (From Bill Gloria Gaither Live)
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.