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Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

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Re: Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

#151

Post by lelandbatey »

bccdee wrote: post #145
thisCtx wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So your messenger app read your mind? Pretty sure you create a whitelist on that too, yes? Of phone numbers, usernames, or …email addresses… depending on what the app uses, that you wish to hear from? Check out Spike for IOS. I’m not saying you have to USE it, but that it’s a UX problem, not an “email” problem.

It didn't read my mind, it's just that my instant messaging is 0% automated messages and 100% people I know. My email is 98% automated messages from services I signed up for using my email, and 2% my mom. The configuration is never over with email, because every time I sign up for something, I've got more filters to set up. With instant messaging? There was never a problem to begin with

This is definitely a case of "that's just how you use it", as my phone number is relatively accessible and many services have asked for it, so I get plenty of spam straight to my phone via almost every messaging means that can be tied directly to my phone. That means things like whatsapp in addition to plain old SMS.

Re: Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

#153

Post by thisCtx »

bccdee wrote: post #145
thisCtx wrote: post #139

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So your messenger app read your mind? Pretty sure you create a whitelist on that too, yes? Of phone numbers, usernames, or …email addresses… depending on what the app uses, that you wish to hear from? Check out Spike for IOS. I’m not saying you have to USE it, but that it’s a UX problem, not an “email” problem.

It didn't read my mind, it's just that my instant messaging is 0% automated messages and 100% people I know. My email is 98% automated messages from services I signed up for using my email, and 2% my mom. The configuration is never over with email, because every time I sign up for something, I've got more filters to set up. With instant messaging? There was never a problem to begin with

That’s because email providers have it backwards.

They could deny by default unless the sender is in a contact list.

But I mean the messenger list has to be updated to allow people in every time you meet someone worthy?

You are still doing list management.

Re: Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

#155

Post by netheril96 »

mjgs wrote: post #126
daveslash wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll give you an up-vote because I think a variety of different viewpoints is important, but I'm very much in the e-mail camp. My biggest reason is simply: it's the only ubiquitous, decentralized, open protocol that I can think of. I can run my own server if I want, an I can interact with anybody with an e-mail address . Sure, there was XMPP for IM, but that doesn't have wide adoption; same with other protocols.

Your points are even more valid when you start to move to different counties. You quickly realise that people in other countries often don’t use the apps you are using, in fact you most likely won’t have heard of the apps they are using. But “everyone is using X” they will tell you, but you’ll have no way to know for sure. Are you really going to install every piece of software people say to install? At least with em…

> At least with email, it just works and there are minimal security issues, and it’s an open protocol etc etc, even if it’s a bit old fashioned.

Here in China, most people only use email at work.

Re: Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

#156

Post by cutler »

If it were not for Google and Microsoft effectively gatekeeping SMTP I'd support the OP's proposition but it's been years since I gave-up running Postfix + Dovecot on Linux VM's simply due to the mindless thuggery of Outlook/Hotmail and Gmail. Google has effectively become the unelected dictator of the internet.

Re: Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

#157

Post by hn_throwaway_99 »

Ok, emotional me really hated this site, so rational me will try to calm down a bit and explain why.

I started with the "Dislikes about email are Questionable" post, which was perhaps my mistake, but every point in that post had a dripping "I'm sorry peasant, you're doing it wrong" vibe to it.

I can fully understand why someone may choose to use email over other forms of communication, but to be incredibly dismissive of problems other people have with the medium, while furthermore often not even addressing some of the root frustrations people have, is incredibly condescending.

Take the "email is unreliable" point. You can write all the missives you want about how email is the most reliable form of communication known to man, at the end of the day a huge number of messages can get "sent" which never make it to the intended recipient for a myriad of reasons. And furthermore, pretty much everyone has had an experience where this has happened.

Re: Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

#158

Post by txru »

paxys wrote: post #3

I'm on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. I haven't used email outside of work for many years now, and don't miss it one bit. And even at work most communication now happens on Slack. The digital world has evolved since 1997, and email simply hasn't kept up. I skimmed a couple articles on the blog and my biggest problem with it is that the author is making a social rather than technological argument (which are a…

I'm pretty sure that's not what the author meant in the movie and helmet examples.

> A) Call Leia and show interest in her weekend, and in her as a person, and after some pleasantries are exchanged, mention how amazing the main character is in the movie he watched.

---

> Situation: Kylo has been fascinated with helmets since time immortal. He custom designs and builds his own helmet. Knowing most of his friends don’t share his passion, he is hesitant to wear his new helmet at their next gathering.

> Answer: Send out an email to all his friends and include photos of his new helmet.

The first one heavily implies that Luke just calling his friend is a better and more personal way of catching up, and the second one doesn't say the person should send a weekly email summary, it's saying for big projects one is passionate about, email may be a better choice than instant messaging.

Re: Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

#159

Post by ddingus »

paxys wrote: post #3

I'm on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. I haven't used email outside of work for many years now, and don't miss it one bit. And even at work most communication now happens on Slack. The digital world has evolved since 1997, and email simply hasn't kept up. I skimmed a couple articles on the blog and my biggest problem with it is that the author is making a social rather than technological argument (which are a…

Outside of work, I use whatever channel people interact with me on. That's largely SMS, various chat apps, and some e-mail, and a fair amount of voice.

I like talking to people who I value. Like that a lot.

For work, or anything with complexity in any major axis, time, number of elements, etc... I continue to use e-mail.

The best thing about that is being able to go back into those e-mails and recover info. My archive goes almost all the way back, and the little bit I don't have in there really doesn't matter much. Surprisingly, the rest has more times than I can count.

People can contact me, literally decades later, and it's there, I can spool it up, and act on whatever it is almost as if I never missed a beat.

Maybe when the new tools are around and endure in a similar fashion I would reconsider. Kind of hard to do so in such an open, portable format though.

Re: Just Use Email – How to Use Email for Everything

#160

Post by mcbishop »

dqv wrote: post #55
edmundsauto wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This isn’t universally true, although your broader point (it could change at any time!) is a risk. As a data point, I have run my own email servers for years. Both professionally (couple million transactional emails per year) and for my personal. If you follow best practices (which is a pain to setup!), deliver ability is generally on par with other providers, unless you got unlucky and got a bad IP.

Mailinabox is a great package that makes the best practices very easy. I always recommend it or similar packages.

This looks awesome, thanks.
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