Is Email an Outdated Form of Technology?

Email consumes our lives. When it comes to productivity, email is like the plague. We spend uncounted hours per month sorting through emails that ultimately mean very little to our work. For these reasons, Scott Berkun questions why we use email, and whether or not we really need to.

Emails are generally written for two reasons -- to cover your ass and to show off. Unfortunately, many of us are deeply set in our email ways and although we hate sorting through our inboxes, we consistently send out emails that do one of the two things listed above. Although I don't believe I am ready to move past email in the workplace, I do believe that we can all make a conscious effort to reduce the amount of junk mail in all of our inboxes.

By refraining from sending emails that don't actual convey essential messages, we can instigate change. This decrease in time spent on sorting through emails equates to more time spent on the important things that you are at work to do. This way, you get the important stuff done with greater efficiency, which leaves additional time for the other, more important things that make up our lives.