Comments on: Email And The Art of Short Replies http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/ Innovation, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Personal Development Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:15:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Mark Vakkur http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-32291 Mark Vakkur Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:54:56 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-32291 The variation on that theme I read was: "Sorry for the length of this letter - if I had more time, it would have been shorter" variously attributed to e.e, cummings or T.S. Eliot. As a writer of novella-length emails, my first impulse to any rule such as this is, Who says? Less is not always more. Complex ideas cannot be reduced to bumper stickers or sound bites. I think we have simply grown lazy, both in reading and writing which is why far more people read USA Today than the New York Times. But the larger point is well-taken and the probability of an email being read varies inversely with its length. Email is still an evolving technology so rules and guidelines on its use continue to evolve. If an email grows beyond 500 words, I often try to create a blog entry instead then send a link in the body of the email. Perhaps I should have done that here ... if I had more time.,, The variation on that theme I read was: “Sorry for the length of this letter – if I had more time, it would have been shorter” variously attributed to e.e, cummings or T.S. Eliot. As a writer of novella-length emails, my first impulse to any rule such as this is, Who says? Less is not always more. Complex ideas cannot be reduced to bumper stickers or sound bites. I think we have simply grown lazy, both in reading and writing which is why far more people read USA Today than the New York Times. But the larger point is well-taken and the probability of an email being read varies inversely with its length. Email is still an evolving technology so rules and guidelines on its use continue to evolve. If an email grows beyond 500 words, I often try to create a blog entry instead then send a link in the body of the email. Perhaps I should have done that here … if I
had more time.,,

]]> By: Art Vandelay http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-28447 Art Vandelay Sat, 10 Sep 2011 21:41:34 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-28447 I understand wanting to keep emails concise, but it's really annoying to write something of some substance and just get back an "ok" or a "yes". It comes across as rude. As for the question of email being "outdated", I'd never consider Twitter or Facebook messages or texts as viable alternative because they're closed, proprietary systems. Email is based on open standards. I understand wanting to keep emails concise, but it’s really annoying to write something of some substance and just get back an “ok” or a “yes”. It comes across as rude.

As for the question of email being “outdated”, I’d never consider Twitter or Facebook messages or texts as viable alternative because they’re closed, proprietary systems. Email is based on open standards.

]]> By: Why This Minimalist Life Has No Manual | Far Beyond The Stars: The Archives http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-22969 Why This Minimalist Life Has No Manual | Far Beyond The Stars: The Archives Mon, 14 Feb 2011 21:34:18 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-22969 [...] Email and the Art of Short Replies by Jonathan Fields [...] [...] Email and the Art of Short Replies by Jonathan Fields [...]

]]> By: Why this minimalist life has no manual « Far Beyond The Stars http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-22910 Why this minimalist life has no manual « Far Beyond The Stars Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:44:55 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-22910 [...] Email and the Art of Short Replies by Jonathan Fields [...] [...] Email and the Art of Short Replies by Jonathan Fields [...]

]]> By: Carousel — 04.23.10 | evolution you http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-15228 Carousel — 04.23.10 | evolution you Wed, 12 May 2010 23:28:01 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-15228 [...] Email And The Art of Short Replies: Oh yes, yes, yes! Thank you for this tip, Jonathan. I like it so much that I think I’ll [...] [...] Email And The Art of Short Replies: Oh yes, yes, yes! Thank you for this tip, Jonathan. I like it so much that I think I’ll [...]

]]> By: Tammy http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-15062 Tammy Fri, 07 May 2010 17:24:23 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-15062 Is this the beginning of the backlash against email? Just yesterday I was reading a post at zenhabits which was explaining why it’s creator, Leo Babauta,had decided to dump email. My first reaction was ‘FTW?!’, and I was about to email him directly with a similar reaction, when I had a eureka moment and realised the first ‘pro’ to not ‘doing’ email; you can’t get insulted by strangers so easily. Leo’s apparent only form of contact is now Twitter. The genius that is Twitter has trained us in the art of getting to the point, because it’s just not-twitterific to inflict multiple tweets on your followers when you have something to say. Surely we can use those new-found skills in email replies to say what we need while avoiding sounding snooty? Personally, I can’t remember the last email I sent that was more than 140 characters. I’m not aware of anyone taking offence, although I’m sure there have been some email-essayists to whom I’ve responded in about twelve characters, who’ve not emailed me EVER again! Either they think I’m terribly rude, or extremely busy and important! All in all, like a badly-behaved spouse, we feel a little controlled and worn-out by our inboxes . And although I can understand the decision to dump email; I’m not ready to end things just yet. Maybe we’ll go to therapy? My inbox can learn to respect my personal time and space and in return, I will learn to appreciate it more. If it doesn’t change it’s ways however, it’s only going to have itself to blame when it finds me in a no-strings attached menage-a-trois with Twitter and Google Wave. Is this the beginning of the backlash against email? Just yesterday I was reading a post at zenhabits which was explaining why it’s creator, Leo Babauta,had decided to dump email. My first reaction was ‘FTW?!’, and I was about to email him directly with a similar reaction, when I had a eureka moment and realised the first ‘pro’ to not ‘doing’ email; you can’t get insulted by strangers so easily.

Leo’s apparent only form of contact is now Twitter. The genius that is Twitter has trained us in the art of getting to the point, because it’s just not-twitterific to inflict multiple tweets on your followers when you have something to say. Surely we can use those new-found skills in email replies to say what we need while avoiding sounding snooty?

Personally, I can’t remember the last email I sent that was more than 140 characters. I’m not aware of anyone taking offence, although I’m sure there have been some email-essayists to whom I’ve responded in about twelve characters, who’ve not emailed me EVER again! Either they think I’m terribly rude, or extremely busy and important!

All in all, like a badly-behaved spouse, we feel a little controlled and worn-out by our inboxes . And although I can understand the decision to dump email; I’m not ready to end things just yet. Maybe we’ll go to therapy? My inbox can learn to respect my personal time and space and in return, I will learn to appreciate it more. If it doesn’t change it’s ways however, it’s only going to have itself to blame when it finds me in a no-strings attached menage-a-trois with Twitter and Google Wave.

]]> By: Arsene Hodali http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-14945 Arsene Hodali Mon, 03 May 2010 08:57:01 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-14945 Haha, the Steve Jobs and Seth Godin strategy! Always nice to re-learn that one should not do something just because everyone else is doing it, when there is an obvious better/easier way of doing it. Haha, the Steve Jobs and Seth Godin strategy!

Always nice to re-learn that one should not do something just because everyone else is doing it, when there is an obvious better/easier way of doing it.

]]> By: Richard, Personal Development Author http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-14782 Richard, Personal Development Author Sat, 24 Apr 2010 06:52:18 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-14782 Haha DOA, that's a good one. I really dislike email and usign Gmai minimize it as much as possible If I ever get into the position of having 300-500 emails a day I'd probably ignore most of them or ask them to ask me questions on Twitter. Haha DOA, that’s a good one. I really dislike email and usign Gmai minimize it as much as possible If I ever get into the position of having 300-500 emails a day I’d probably ignore most of them or ask them to ask me questions on Twitter.

]]> By: Carousel — 04.23.10 : evolution you http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-14779 Carousel — 04.23.10 : evolution you Fri, 23 Apr 2010 19:16:15 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-14779 [...] Email And The Art of Short Replies: Oh yes, yes, yes! Thank you for this tip, Jonathan. I like it so much that I think I’ll [...] [...] Email And The Art of Short Replies: Oh yes, yes, yes! Thank you for this tip, Jonathan. I like it so much that I think I’ll [...]

]]> By: The Week in Review http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/short-replies/#comment-14777 The Week in Review Fri, 23 Apr 2010 05:13:15 +0000 http://www.jonathanfields.com/blog/?p=3745#comment-14777 [...] ecorner – David Heinemeier Hansson, 37signals – Unlearn Your MBA Steven Pressfield – Writing Wednesdays #32: Habit Steven Pressfield – Writing Wednesdays #33: Having A Practice, Part Two Jonathan Fields – Email And The Art of Short Replies [...] [...] ecorner – David Heinemeier Hansson, 37signals – Unlearn Your MBA Steven Pressfield – Writing Wednesdays #32: Habit Steven Pressfield – Writing Wednesdays #33: Having A Practice, Part Two Jonathan Fields – Email And The Art of Short Replies [...]

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