email apathy

I recently got a lovely email from a friend who’s moved out of state. He’s an amazingly eclectic music and movie lover. So when I get movie or music elists with ratings I pour over them for those gems that I would normally over look. I responded to his email like I normally would any one who’s put effort in sharing his finds. Unlike those emails with fwd. Fwd. FWD. then two words and a link. Those I read, send thanks then delete. Of course there are those which need no reply. These include emails that have been mass emailed so many times that the actually body of text is 4 pages in (see pet peeves list) Anywho, my friend was grateful for my reply but his dismay promtped me to post.

friend “It’s like I through my emails off into a dark ravine hoping a reply will shoot back up at me…”

me: “In this age of RSS feeds, twitter, daily (if that) blog posting obligations and then email on top of all that. I find people are to overwhelmed to respond to emails where they aren’t “required” to do so. Required meaning; asked a direct question, obligated to participate or work related…I stopped reading my Google Reader and stopped looking at twitter… I want to give people the response they deserve and with email I can… I’d feel spread to thin (keeping up with it all) and nothing would get replied to cause I’d be to busy trying to read everything. I stick to my email inbox, I’m thinking of adding a couple blogs but fear that might turn into a slippery slope of, well you get the idea. Wasn’t technology supposed to make our lives more efficient so we could spend more time with people we love? I think it’s just given us more distractions from the things that are important!”

Posted by linuxgrl May 2008

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