Email on the decline?
This CNN article is the second item I’ve read recently predicting the death of email. This one is factual, citing survey data that teen email use fell 8% last year. Presumably in America. Rising text message and IM use is the explanation so this might be the result of exceptionally low use of texts in the US - it would be interesting to see the European data.
JP Rangaswami’s blog was the first item. His point is that email has become like snail mail - good stuff hidden amongst loads of junk mail, signed off with formal signatures etc. It’s even legally binding now if you put your name at the bottom.
I’d love to be more controversial - but I still think email is great - it improves my efficiency by an untold amount. As mobile email gets better (e.g. I can file emails more effectively on my new QTek device) that increases. Plus I love the asynchronous nature of it. The trouble with IM is that it demands an instant response. Nothing screws up the factory like unscheduled interruptions to the production line!
