Comments on: Cutting Email Down to Size

By: Todd Andrews

Todd Andrews — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 15:09:48 +0000

You really nailed it with creating a blog or wiki to answer questions. I rarely get asked a question just once and find myself constantly repeating my advice.

By: WT

WT — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:32:56 +0000

If this works for Luis, that’s great. But I don’t see the plan getting a lot of traction in the businesses I support.

Social sites are usually blocked, and despite the fact that I’ve evangelized IM for years (we have our own IM servers) even “read to go to lunch” type messages are sent via email.

My solution was to dump MS Exchange and install a carrier grade Unix email server and raise everyone’s storage from 100mb to unlimited. My continuing effort to get users to use IM when appropriate is to spread the word that I only check email once every two hours (I’m the Network Manager), and to IM me when they need a quick response. The user’s response is to send multiple “Did you receive my email” emails.

I give up.

By: Bill Roberts

Bill Roberts — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 10:02:08 +0000

I love e-mail, but there’s a huge benefit in storing useful information in a wiki or other online collaboration tool, where you can easily find it next time and make it available for your colleagues – and we’ve probably all experienced versioning hell when a group of people collaborate on a document by e-mail.

Bill
Swirrl

PS On the other hand I hate it when people send me a message via Facebook when they could just have sent me an e-mail!

By: Ramesh | The Geek Stuff

Ramesh | The Geek Stuff — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 06:55:15 +0000

For non-critical issue, sometimes using IM and phone may not be as productive option like sending an email. For most part, If properly used, I still believe email is very effective than any other fancy way of communicating. Ramesh The Geek Stuff

By: Lawrence Salberg

Lawrence Salberg — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 02:56:26 +0000

Hmmm… I would almost think that Luis stole his idea from me. But that’s okay if it helps all of us to rid us of this email plague.

I wrote that “Email is Dead for Me” back in April. And I meant it.

To do my part not to curse others with the same problems, I’ve sworn off initiating new emails until the end of 2009 as an “experiment” using some of the same techniques as Luis (as well as others).

I recommend everyone do the same.