Re: Solutions for Email Volume Problems

[Joel Siegel <siegeljd...>]

Adrian A. Durlester wrote:
> 
> My email volume is well over 300 messages a day. Yet I do not need an
> inordinate amount of time to keep track of them, utilizing as I do filters,
> templates, automatic responses, etc. If you want free and unfettered access to
> the internet, then you have to pay a price somewhere. That price is either 
> your
> 
> time to wade through everything, or your money to purchase software that will
> make your online experience more efficient, faster, and more enjoyable. To
> quote that master of science fiction, Robert Heinlein, TANSTAAFL - "There 
> ain't
> 
> no such thing as a free lunch" (from "The Moon is A Harsh Mistress")

With all due respect, Adrian, I disagree.... or more correctly, agree
only
partially.  It may be true that TANSTAAFL, but it's also incumbent on
each
of us and on the community, I think, to not drive up the price of the
lunch
unnecessarily or by not considering the consequences of our actions (or
worse,
considering but disregarding them).  Communities have to figure out how
to
regulate themselves, and members of communities have to recognize their
responsibilities to it.

To provide an admittedly extreme example, pick your favorite violent
crime.
Assume we don't enact laws against it, but just let people do what they
want
and leave it up to the individual to run the risk of being a victim or
of
doing whatever s/he feels appropriate to protect him/herself.  Of
course,
communities don't do that... the result would be instant chaos.  It
would
be nice if all members of the community recognized their
responsibilities not
to do such things, but they don't, and societies enact sanctions for
that
behavior.

I'm NOT saying that hanashir is like that, that we should sanctions or
censorship or whatever.  I AM asking that we do what most large
societies
so far have found impossible... have members exercise some 
voluntary self-restraint.  In a truly *principled* anarchy, cops and
laws are unnecessary, IMHO.  But that's another discussion for
another list.

> We can do things to make it easier for everyone. We can try to always create
> appropriate "subject" headings for our messages rather than just accepting a
> series of default "re:reply to:re reply to:re reply to: some subject" . Unless
> your message is a direct response to an original message (in content, and not
> just a kudo or other remark) it's best to not accept the default subject your
> email program selects for you. If you just want to say to someone "hey, I 
> agree
> 
> with you" or "good job"  then why not change the subject to "Agreeing with so
> and so on such and such" ?  Make your subject reflect the content of your
> reply. If your reply really is sticking to the original "thread", the just a
> "re:original topic" is useful and helps people track a series of related
> messages.

agreed... perhaps adding only (in the spirit of the above) some
restraint when
reaching for that "reply" button..... maybe respond to several messages
in
a thread at once.  Stop and think before hitting that reply key!

> Adrian