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rjw  ·  4102 days ago  ·  link  ·    ·  parent  ·  post: Op-Ed Contributor - The Death of the R.S.V.P. - NYTimes.com

I think the reason why RSVPs used to be so important is that before the Internet became widespread, sending out invitations to many people was a bit of a hassle. People had to respond (even if they weren't interested) because to do otherwise would lead the inviter to think that you possibly hadn't received their letter - also it shows appreciation for the effort put into sending out the letters in the first place.

Explanations aside, I do think it's a shame that people don't always respond to invitations. Even if you're not interested in going, it is a way of saying thank you for being invited in the first place.

EDIT: I like RVOM. At the very least it'll cause people to reply asking me what it means.