Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#1

Post by jtesp » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 3:04 AM UTC

Social networking is convenient and entertaining, but is that it? I can count my best friends on one hand and none of us are friends on Facebook and we don't even email each other. When we want to communicate, we give each other a phone call. Text messages are very rare as well.

Is this normal? Why?

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#2

Post by valjavec » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 3:15 AM UTC

I use all forms of communications, rank them according to urgency and how distracted I want to be when I get anything back.

In that order probably: Phone call, SMS, Gtalk, Skype, Facebook, Email

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#3

Post by nomad2986 » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 3:40 AM UTC

I definitely text my friends a lot but not email at all. I think it's kind of odd not to be friends with your best friends on facebook but that being said, I don't actually communicate with my best friends that much on facebook.

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#4

Post by mattcofer » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 3:41 AM UTC

Typically, I Google Talk with my closest friends and wife. Luckily they all use Android phones so they are always a quick Google Chat message away. Facebook is great for inviting friends to events (easy to cheat and use your friends list as a hint to make sure you don't forget anybody). Email is good for personal pictures and touching base with family. Phone calls are really only for when I need an answer now or talking to my Dad who doesn't use any social media, Google chat and rarely checks his email. I don't like the phone because most of the time you aren't really saying much anyways. Why not just get off the phone and send me a message when you've made a decision? I don't need to listen to you think.

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#5

Post by acconrad » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:33 AM UTC

Really depends on what I'm trying to do. Coordinate a ski trip? Email best friends. Going out for drinks? Text. Got lost to the bar? Call.

So yeah, I email my best friends.

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#6

Post by manish_chhabra » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 4:52 AM UTC

I think every means has a different purpose. People upload their pictures on social network and just share them with friends they want to. When you are at work, it is easier to chat/email/sms than a phone talk. CALL.. if you are after a real quick response!

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#7

Post by jtesp » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 5:41 AM UTC

Thanks for responding...just the answers I expected. Communication is changing at an alarming rate, we are literally in the middle of the communication revolution. It's interesting to think about how humans will interact in 10 years.

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#8

Post by stoney » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 5:55 AM UTC

acconrad wrote: post #5

Really depends on what I'm trying to do. Coordinate a ski trip? Email best friends. Going out for drinks? Text. Got lost to the bar? Call. So yeah, I email my best friends.

Basically I do this too. But I'd add: Moved to country in vastly different time zone? Put pictures on facebook and send newsletter style email every now and then.

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#9

Post by kachhalimbu » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 6:27 AM UTC

I moved out of India few years ago and now live in Taiwan. Most of my best friends are in India but few are in US. I have tried all sorts of things personal blog, posterous group blog,google group,google site and other social networks such as Facebook and Orkut but finally we have settled on exchanging emails as the only way to keep in touch. I think it is perfectly normal. Some of us were bothered by having to to leave their inboxes and go to some other website just to check on our group messages and also email provided sort of privacy we were all comfortable with. Almost all of us use gmail for the threaded conversations (gmail) which are great for these sort of emails (photos/events/outing reports)

Re: Ask HN: Do you email your best friends?

#10

Post by sagacity » Mon, Mar 21, 2011, 8:34 AM UTC

jtesp wrote: post #7

Thanks for responding...just the answers I expected. Communication is changing at an alarming rate, we are literally in the middle of the communication revolution. It's interesting to think about how humans will interact in 10 years.

>It's interesting to think about how humans will interact in 10 years.

You could say this again!

In about 10 years from now, I think the population of what have been described as 'digital natives' would probably hit 40/50% mark (if not higher).

I too think it'd be very interesting to see the state of communication and human interaction methodologies at that point in time.

IMO, (much) greater degrees of convergence and unification are almost certain. In what forms and styles, only time will tell. (And a handful of bright startups with the right ideas at the right times along the way would be the next billionaires :)).