thank yous

Proper etiquette deems that one send "Thank You's" to interviewers following an interview, right? Back in college, I mailed written notes, but I think it is okay these days to email interviewers (yikes, correct me if I'm wrong). The trouble with emails is the potential for a quick response, and it's always unnerving when the interviewer shoots back a formulaic response.

I didn't hear back yesterday about any decisions following Friday's interview. With the final round being this Thursday, I have to assume the worst. I just feel like they would give more notice than 2 days for a interview, so I think they probably called everyone who got one yesterday.

Rememebering nevertheless that I had forgotten to send to send my thank-yous to my two interviewers, I thought better late than never and shot off two emails this morning. I wrote short emails, with a sentence or two specific to each interview, and included at the end of each something positive and hopeful like "I hope I get the chance to talk with you again during Final Round interviews."

You don't ever expect to hear back from these "Thank you for interviewing me" emails, right? Unless I ask a specific question, right (and I didn't)?

Except the second interviewer, the one where I thought I did really well, already emailed me back:

Seine,
You're very welcome. I appreciate your kind words. It was great to meet you too.
Regards,
Nice Guy

Now I'm just spooked. I know it's a standard response, and I'm probably reading too much into it, but gosh, what a short email. Why even respond at all? Is his response deemed necessary by etiquette rules?

More than anything, his email just completely unnerved me. A lack of a phone call or a lack of a email response could mean anything (maybe they really just haven't gotten around to informing people of their decisions). But he must know whether or not I made it through, and there wasn't a single hint of positive in his email. It's better to not know than to get negative reinforcement.

Big sigh.