Low tech, bad wrap: 7 reasons I love email
I have a confession to make: I like email. Here’s why.
- It lets me work where I want. I couldn’t send and receive my work or communicate with associates from home or on the go without email.
- It lets me pitch a lot of people. Before the ’90s, it could take months to contact hundreds of people. With email, it takes an hour.
- It lets me work when I want. Unlike text messages, emailers don’t expect insta-replies, making it a much more asynchronous (and flexible) communication tool, even more-so when using nifty tools like Mailbox’s snooze feature, Boomerang’s scheduled emails, and good ole fashioned auto-responders.
- It lets me send large files to anyone. Nothing beats email at this, not even drop box (which requires registration). Eat your heart out, voice calls and text messages.
- It doubles as my to-do list. Although I sometimes add tasks to my calendar, email is my go-to inbox for all things work.
- It keeps my worlds from colliding. I have one, highly personal cell phone number that I discourage for work. I have multiple emails and labeling rules to prioritize my attention as I please.
- It keeps me organized. Since converting to “inbox zero” 15 years ago, email keeps me aware of all outstanding issues (if any). Contrary to what you might think, information overload doesn’t exist, only filter failure.
2 Comments
I think I need inbox zero.
What is “inbox zero”?