The most commonly used email portal for many years has been – the famous or infamous (you decide) – America Online (AOL). Before the release of AOL Instant Messanger (AIM), instant messaging was strictly a feature of an AOL account; therefore, it was preferential to access email through AOL. I currently have two AOL accounts that are active, in addition to a yahoo account and University of Michigan account. The yahoo account and my first AOL account have been rendered useless, due to the fact that all of my email is relayed to my blackberry PDA, via my current AOL account and University of Michigan account. Through this strategy I am able to engage in my email with the same tactics as I attack texts and blackberry messages. I am more apt to respond to an email that delivers directly to my pocket because the vibration and alert tone beckon me to respond instantaneously. As far as grammar and short hand abbreviations are concerned – i.e. lol, lmao, ur, ttyl – the audience has the major deciding factor. I will refrain from using these abbreviations and ensure correct grammar when addressing professors or a more sophisticated, formal audience. When talking to friends or family it is much more comfortable to forget about grammar and to use convenient abbreviations.
Email has evoked both my happiness and my rage. On the happy side it has kept me in touch with many people, places, and organizations. I received my first email account in order to keep in touch with camp friends who live as far as California, Florida, and even France. I receive updates for my favorite sports teams like the Jets, Mets, and Knicks. The University of Michigan sends much very important email keeping me up to date on daily events. However, on a day-to-day basis I find myself frustrated with Spam emails that take up my time and overload my Blackberry PDA. On average, I would say that close to 50% of the emails I receive daily are of no concern to me and are merely Spam. I need not be bothered by low prices in the Canadian pharmaceutical market, stocks that are on the up rise, or some girl named Candy who would like to have a ‘chat’. Email has revolutionized the way people interact over distances and has had a significant positive impact on the world; however, it is the dark side of email – Spam – that causes many people, including myself, unfair amounts of stress and utter disapproval.
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I find it interesting that you analyze the darker side of email. Most people see it as a great way to communicate with people all across the world. However, email has consumed many people. I also use different grammar and wording depending on who I am sending the message to. Checking email has become a part of everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI too share your frustration over the prevalence of spam email in our inboxes. After a good amount of time tweaking my Gmail account preferences and being careful to always check off "do not send me updates regarding this company," I managed to decrease the amount of spam I received signficantly. Lately, however, my new Michigan email address has been causing me frequent frustration due to the hordes of spam I receive from a number of university clubs, school departments, or even products that promise to improve my sex life. I definitely think that email is a fantastic relatively new technology, but the next great breakthrough should address the problem of spam sneaking through our filters.
ReplyDeleteI feel your pain about the spam. I personally have been hit with enough spam that I had to abandon email accounts. I got to the point where I just don't bother fighting the stuff anymore and just leave it in my Gmail in-box. The other thing I can relate to is the use of a blackberry to check email. My dad constantly uses his to get through the daily rush of mail. The problem I do have with the blackberry solution is that it IS able to be constantly checked. I would rather sit down and look at everything I got for the day than follow my dads example. It is a problem when one checks his email while waiting at a red light or in the check out lane.
ReplyDeleteI agree that spam is often very frustrating, but I don't think that spam is a product of email. In fact, spam mail has been around for a long time in the form of letters and brochures and the like. Most of the time, we just toss that sort of mail into the trash without much thought. Spam email tends to evoke a stronger reaction simply because there is a lot of it--but isn't a minute of spam filtering a day worth it considering the benefits of email?
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