Is Email Really Going The Way Of The Dodo?
- 5
- Add a Comment
Since Thursday I have been away attending a conference of about 30 adults and I discovered some surprising facts. Two of the people in the group did not own computers. It wasn’t that they could not afford a computer, they just didn’t see a need to have one. The second thing I learned is that people in their 50’s and above generally do not use social networking sites like Twitter. They do use Facebook to stay in contact with family, friends and associates but don’t do much texting on Twitter.
So when I read this recent article from the WSJ I thought I would share the information with you:
Why wait for a response to an email when you get a quicker answer over instant messaging? Thanks to Facebook, some questions can be answered without asking them. You don’t need to ask a friend whether she has left work, if she has updated her public “status” on the site telling the world so. Email, stuck in the era of attachments, seems boring compared to services like Google Wave, currently in test phase, which allows users to share photos by dragging and dropping them from a desktop into a Wave, and to enter comments in near real time.
Little wonder that while email continues to grow, other types of communication services are growing far faster. In August 2009, 276.9 million people used email across the U.S., several European countries, Australia and Brazil, according to Nielsen Co., up 21% from 229.2 million in August 2008. But the number of users on social-networking and other community sites jumped 31% to 301.5 million people.
And than this:
But the speed and ease of communication cut both ways. While making communication more frequent, they can also make it less personal and intimate. Communicating is becoming so easy that the recipient knows how little time and thought was required of the sender. Yes, your half-dozen closest friends can read your vacation updates. But so can your 500 other “friends.” And if you know all these people are reading your updates, you might say a lot less than you would otherwise.
Social networking sites take some of the personal & intimate relationship aspect that can only be found by sending emails. Though the predictions of email dying off may come to pass, I believe it still holds a place for us on the Internet.
What do you think? Share your thoughts.
Comments welcome.
5 Comments
tim
October 12th, 2009
at 2:17pm
>
Why wait for a response to an email when you get a quicker answer over instant messaging?
>
My web email accounts filters to send me a text if I get an email from important contacts. My IM is permanently set to Appear Offline, in the infrequent time I log in on there, as if I’ll quickly respond to someone’s IM if I’m not ready to respond. If it’s really important, call me, and if I don’t answer, and you chose not to email me, then when you leave a voicemail, Google Voice will transcribe your voicemail and, text and send a copy to my Gmail, of the transcription.
>
Thanks to Facebook, some questions can be answered without asking them. You don’t need to ask a friend whether she has left work, if she has updated her public “status” on the site telling the world so.
>
I get email notifications of activity on my Facebook, which, again, my the web email account I use for Facebook, filters to send me a text if I there’s an update from important contacts. Google Latitude automatically tracks my movement and makes it available to selected people on Google Maps
When a version of Google Wave for mobile browsers becomes available- I rather not have an Google Wave app on my phone, I prefer to pull it up on my phone browser, then I’ll use Google Wave alot more.
My email inbox notifies me of activity in my communication ecosystem.
mhz
October 13th, 2009
at 2:28pm
Communication ecosystem? Seriously?
from Dictionary.com:
Buzzword: A word or phrase connected with a specialized field or group that usually sounds important or technical and is used primarily to impress laypersons.
Sorry. I had to.
Ron Schenone
October 13th, 2009
at 5:08pm
mhz - LOL
Thanks for the chuckle.
Faryl
October 13th, 2009
at 10:05pm
I’m glad to see a post from this angle!
I’ve had similar experiences recently. On the occasion that I break out of the “echodome” and connect with folks in the “real world”, I’m consistently reminded that not everyone uses (or cares) about the internet (or technology).
Given the number of people I encounter who haven’t yet quite managed to get their arms around the idea of a gmail account to avoid changing email addresses every time they get a new job or change ISPs, I have to guess we’re a bit of a ways off before they’re ready to embrace the newer technologies allegedly replace email.
That said, I think among the younger set, using email as an informal way to keep in touch is probably significantly diminishing (and being replaced by more mobile-friendly/immediate forms of communication).
metakid
October 19th, 2009
at 7:40am
I agree. It is refreshing to see a post from this angle. But from the perspective as a younger user, I found myself nodding while reading Tim’s comment. That said, I still use e-mail when I have more than a remark to make. Thought this video has got some good perspective: http://www.newsy.com/videos/is_e_mail_dying