If you have 'inbox-envy' please think again. It may look as if you're a popular person if you receive a lot of emails every day. It may even make you feel important. My 'inbox is brimming over with mail which suggests I'm a little of both! But this is just a half truth. Here's what I really think...The rotton spam is removed automatically so I'm going to ignore that chunk. If I remove the mails that are not from real people, & by that I mean the computer generated ones such as newsletters, that's another big chunk. Then take out the ones from within the building at work who are either copying me in or have lost their legs. That leaves me with the really useful ones that have information in that I want to act on and stuff for sharing. There are a few hidden gems from external clients, which is where new business may come from & that just leaves one from my mom!
So I'm left wondering, how do we manage our 'inbox. It wasn't a subject on the national curriculum when I was at school because the only teccie bit of kit was the less than impressive slide rule! Is someone now going to invent a whizzy email priorities system so we don't have to work it out for ourselves? It's a serious question because as our inboxes get fuller, does production increase or decrease? I have an organized mind so I'm more than capable of working out what is important & what is not. I'm also very good at standing back & not getting sucked into cyberspace. I acknowledge how important emails are for communication but unlike letters that didn't shout 'open me'.. emails have a habit of willing you to open them! I remember a time when we didn't have an email address. Now everyone has a website, more than one email account and there is no escape. We're available 24/7 on our phones which means we have to be even more diligent about maintaining a balance between drowning in emails and keeping in touch.
I believe we all have a capacity, an internal counter, a measure that is called 'moderation' (a family thing!). We can only cope with a certain number of anything. You don't need me to tell you what happens when you scoff too many doughnuts! I believe we're reaching our inner capacity where the internet is concerned. It's such a useful resource when used wisely but we do need an idiot's guide. How many times you have wanted to go out, looked for somewhere to go and 2 hours later decided there's no time left?! I'm looking forward to the next generation of emails and internet ;-) We don't want to get to a point where we fear our inboxes because they have taken over our lives. With twitter, websites, texting, facebook, email accounts and more 'apps' than you can shake a cyber stick at, we have to become more cyber-savvy.
It's so exciting that there is always something new but let's not forget making time for real friends, real conversation and real life. Remember, cyberspace should enhance our daily lives and experiences because as the best tool ever invented, it's got such great potential. But... and there's always a but.. it's also worth remembering that it's a money making machine. Even less than cynical little me knows that big brother is closer now than he's ever been. It's likely he's already here and able to watch every move we make. That's the flip side of this communication hungry, cappuccino indulged, cyber world. There is a flip side to everything in this world. We just have to ensure that we benefit from the fluffy, bubbly bit on the top of the cappuccino rather than drowning in the dark, molten layer that is hidden beneath! YOU have been warned.. !
ps and if you were wondering what SOW refers to, it's switch off wednesday! Yeah, dream on.. though, perhaps a switch off during certain hours will happen in the future...?
No comments:
Post a Comment