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Ease of communication means there is way too much communication. I try to keep up with it all, but it's just not possible if I also want to get some actual work done.

Arthur Dent wrote:Ease of communication means there is way too much communication. I try to keep up with it all, but it's just not possible if I also want to get some actual work done.

With automated lists etc... I'll get well over 5,000 messages per week. I have filters that run that just auto file alot of it, but it's just an overload of information. I'll get 100 or so a day that I have to at least skim.

I'm still a dinosaur, if I have a question I'm the rare breed that still gets up out of my chair and walks 10 feet to ask the question. I'm not kidding, we had a women who literally sat across from me in the next cube. She would send me email with questions all the time, I would answer her without even getting out of my chair. wtf?

jim wrote:I'm still a dinosaur, if I have a question I'm the rare bread that still gets up out of my chair and walks 10 feet to ask the question.

"Humans acting.... humanly? How existential." - James Lipton

jim wrote:

Arthur Dent wrote:Ease of communication means there is way too much communication. I try to keep up with it all, but it's just not possible if I also want to get some actual work done.

With automated lists etc... I'll get well over 5,000 messages per week. I have filters that run that just auto file alot of it, but it's just an overload of information. I'll get 100 or so a day that I have to at least skim.

I'm still a dinosaur, if I have a question I'm the rare bread that still gets up out of my chair and walks 10 feet to ask the question. I'm not kidding, we had a women who literally sat across from me in the next cube. She would send me email with questions all the time, I would answer her without even getting out of my chair. wtf?

That still is the best way to do it I think. I still email a lot of questions if the answer isn't required right away, or I know they'll have to check something elaborate first, or I know they're too busy to get to my questions right now.

JCShutout wrote:

jim wrote:

Arthur Dent wrote:Ease of communication means there is way too much communication. I try to keep up with it all, but it's just not possible if I also want to get some actual work done.

With automated lists etc... I'll get well over 5,000 messages per week. I have filters that run that just auto file alot of it, but it's just an overload of information. I'll get 100 or so a day that I have to at least skim.

I'm still a dinosaur, if I have a question I'm the rare bread that still gets up out of my chair and walks 10 feet to ask the question. I'm not kidding, we had a women who literally sat across from me in the next cube. She would send me email with questions all the time, I would answer her without even getting out of my chair. wtf?

That still is the best way to do it I think. I still email a lot of questions if the answer isn't required right away, or I know they'll have to check something elaborate first, or I know they're too busy to get to my questions right now.

Being in a technical field, email can be a great way to communicate. Sometimes, getting in black and white is the best way. Still, there are many times when a face to face visit is more efficient. The problem is people use it as a crutch.

I will say it makes calling in sick easier. Nobody calls in sick anymore, just a quick email. Easier to fake a cough in email for those nice spring days when the blue wing olives are hatching and the fish are biting .. uh, I mean when I've come down with a bad cough.

jim wrote:I'm still a dinosaur, if I have a question I'm the rare breed that still gets up out of my chair and walks 10 feet to ask the question. I'm not kidding, we had a women who literally sat across from me in the next cube. She would send me email with questions all the time, I would answer her without even getting out of my chair. wtf?

I'm with you on that. However, if it's not that case- if it's someone in another building- I'd much, much, much rather get an e-mail than a phone call. Phone calls annoy the crap out of me. E-mails force people to sit down and think out what they want, and put it as concisely as they can. In a phone call, they can ramble on and on before getting to the point.

RC21* wrote:

jim wrote:I'm still a dinosaur, if I have a question I'm the rare breed that still gets up out of my chair and walks 10 feet to ask the question. I'm not kidding, we had a women who literally sat across from me in the next cube. She would send me email with questions all the time, I would answer her without even getting out of my chair. wtf?

I'm with you on that. However, if it's not that case- if it's someone in another building- I'd much, much, much rather get an e-mail than a phone call. Phone calls annoy the crap out of me. E-mails force people to sit down and think out what they want, and put it as concisely as they can. In a phone call, they can ramble on and on before getting to the point.

E-mails are at least "on record". Conversations in person and over the phone have a tendency to vanish into the ether when it comes to remembering who said what.

"I told you to place 10 orders"
"No you didn't, you said 20"
"No, I said 10"
"No, you said 20"
∞

Having the email trail to fall back on can be invaluable at times.

jim wrote:Being in a technical field, email can be a great way to communicate. Sometimes, getting in black and white is the best way. Still, there are many times when a face to face visit is more efficient. The problem is people use it as a crutch.

If you have a simple question, if possible talking in person is most often better. I don't know how much time I've wasted with e-mail or on the phone dealing with the fact that people completely misunderstand what the other person is talking about or asking. At least in person, its generally obvious that this is happening and you can interrupt. Difficult to do that on the phone with aggressive talkers and very slow on e-mail if it gets caught at all.

Speaking of misuse of electronic communication, back in college people were constantly talking on IM with dorm mates. That still floors me. Get up and walk down the hall!

Arthur Dent wrote:

jim wrote:Being in a technical field, email can be a great way to communicate. Sometimes, getting in black and white is the best way. Still, there are many times when a face to face visit is more efficient. The problem is people use it as a crutch.

If you have a simple question, if possible talking in person is most often better. I don't know how much time I've wasted with e-mail or on the phone dealing with the fact that people completely misunderstand what the other person is talking about or asking. At least in person, its generally obvious that this is happening and you can interrupt. Difficult to do that on the phone with aggressive talkers and very slow on e-mail if it gets caught at all.

Speaking of misuse of electronic communication, back in college people were constantly talking on IM with dorm mates. That still floors me. Get up and walk down the hall!

I agree AD - I'm talking about that complicated exchange with maybe a 5 item list. Like, in order to go into production we need to do 1. 2. 3. 4. etc... Plus, like mentioned earlier, it's on record.

But your general statement - that email can be a drain - I totally agree. I read something on a company of about 30 a few years back where the CEO banned email. People thought he was insane, but it actually worked out well for that organization.

I spend a good part of my day trying to simultaneously deal with emails, phone calls and instant messages.

No wonder I post here so infrequently.