Before I Started Getting Email This Never Bothered Me

I (vaguely) remember the time when this never bothered me - and it was before I started getting email.

To be honest, I don't remember exactly when I started getting email -sometime in the 90s - but that's all I know. The date doesn't stand out.

It used to be really cool to communicate with someone across the country - without having to wait a week for a reply, or spend 32 cents on a stamp. And you could type a long letter without getting the writer's cramp of a hand written letter.

In the last few years, text messaging and social media like Facebook have nearly eliminated the need for personal email "letters." However, in the workplace we have become dependent on email for intra-office transactions as well as business communications.

The number one problem I have with email that really irritates me is when I get no reply or acknowledgment that my email was received. Sometimes a simple "ok" is all that is needed - but a lack of response keeps me wondering if the recipient ever got the message and I'm left in limbo. Limbo is not a fun place to be.

I understand you can't necessarily respond within the next five minutes, but I'm pretty sure 24 hours is a large enough window. Technology is a wonderful thing, but it is not 100% reliable, so don't make me assume you got my message.

The world would be a better place if everyone would respond to their emails in a timely fashion - and quit leaving senders in email limbo. Oh, and while we're on the subject, let's throw in text messages and facebook messages, too. All of these thoughts apply there as well.

We could talk about other email etiquette, but that will be another discussion for later. I can only handle one singular irritation at a time. Oh, how I long for those days before email.