If you have a PDA, you may have it set up to get your email on both your device and your account. So when you open your mail on your computer, you are greeted by a yet to be sorted pile of duplicated data. As I tried to file old emails and get a sense of what was left, it reminded me of an often used phrase these days; “Did you get my email?”
We are fairly secure in knowing their server received it and sent it to them. But we feel the passive aggressive vague question works best.
The real questions are; “Did you open and read my email?” and “Do you have a response or any thought about my email?”
Gizmos and gadgets have made us lazy. We hide behind hurried thumbed half-notes between meetings and we count that as follow-up. You may not have discovered yet but your PDA probably also has a phone option. I forget sometimes too.
Does this exchange sound familiar; “Did you send it to me?” “I did, didn’t you get it?” “I didn’t see it.” “Well check when you hang up and call me back”. (callback) “Here it is”.
Electronic correspondence was supposed to speed up our lives, ease the burden, and afford us the ability to communicate quicker and more efficiently. In theory, that sounds pretty good. In theory it doesn’t always work.
According to Newyorker Magazine, we send over a trillion txt messages every year. We may all be busy but with what, no one is sure. Sorry dude, I'm way too busy to answer your email because I'm answering eveyone else's email.
How many emails lie patiently in your in-box awaiting a reply or to be opened? There's a bunch of reasons why we don't get back to people right away. As I looked at a few emails that haven't been returned, I discovered some I hadn't returned. I think perhaps I'll try that phone option today.
This does not include people who are simply trying to avoid you or have no intention of replying to your email. But that rarely happens, of course ;-)
km
