> I just sent the e-mail anyway, but it is interesting that I've been conditioned to question myself over a very innocuous reply to make sure my tone was appropriate, as to not risk offending the other party.

That's a good habit to get into, particularly given how many of our usual non-verbal cues don't come across in email.

I often think to myself "I'm about to send a mail to X hundred/thousand people; it's worth my taking a couple extra moments or even minutes considering exactly how it might come across".