Our buddies at Lifehacker are hosting a panel discussion called ‘Email is Dead‘. There’s a serious line up of globally respected business leaders and experts, and the whole thing will be streamed live online next Thursday at midday. But we want to know what you think of email and how you’d change the way people communicate in your workplace.
We also have a few seats up for grabs at the exclusive live event in Sydney if your thoughts on the subject are particularly insightful. And if you’re in the room you’ll have a chance to ask a question of the panellists: Alistair Rennie, General Manager of IBM Lotus; Genevieve Bell, Head of Interaction and Experience Research, Intel; Adele Beachley, Managing Director of RIM Australia and New Zealand (Blackberry); and one of our favourite futurists, Mark Pesce.
So tell us in the comments, how would you fix email at your work? Do your problems relate to the tools, or is it the users?
canberracubicle
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 11:05 AMFix email… Get people to use it as a communications tool rather than an accountability ‘covering my arse by having on record’ tool. Sh!ts me to tears the amount of emails I get which are essentially exercises in buck passing and arse covering. Also, maybe encourage people to draft in word or similar then copy to outlook to get people to actually think about what they are writing and also to cut out the passive/aggressive crap that can burrow its way into correspondence.
Roland
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 1:39 PMSounds like you work in government were going that extra mile isn’t in someones job description. Sorry I couldn’t help myself. ;)
I love email, working with email and looking after my email server. I cannot see for the life of me a suitable alternative.
Facebook and Twitter? God help us all if that happens. We might as well stop teaching English at school if that were to happen.
l8r ppl
matt
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 11:31 AMWhat do you do if you kill email? Use facebook and twitter? God help us all. I use neither of those services but I’d rather someone contact me directly if they want to communicate. Not broadcast to the world and expect me to check.
Seamus Byrne
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 12:58 PMThe extended version of the title for this event is:
“Email is Dead: But can anything take its place?”
You’re right. It’s really about looking at why so many have grown to hate email as much as they rely on it, and look at how the tools are changing to help us use email in better ways.
So how would you change the way people use email?
Wok
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 1:22 PMDuh email is work.
Jay
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 1:44 PMI think Google Wave is a good start to rid of emails but it’s not simple enough. I also think instant messaging is a valuable tool. Why not use IM instead of email? You can message people even when they are away (offline messages) and messages can be logged for recordkeeping purposes.
Matt
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 8:35 PMSounds a bit like email Jay. An instant message is an email you get when you’re sitting at the computer. And being able to send messages when someone is away is exactly like email. The good thing about email is you can consider the response and take as long as you damn well please to respond. I’m not saying email is king but I don’t think IM is a replacement. Video didn’t kill the radio star so I don’t think FB, IM and twits will kill email. Very interesting topic giz
Brendan
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 4:45 PMI love email. I couldn’t get near as much work done with anything else. I cant stand those that don’t use email. In fact i’ve made business decision on comparing companies based on who uses email (properly) for communication.
People that want to call you and speak to you are just transferring their workload – now i have to write down what you said / asked of me.
Like most of IT in business, we don’t spend enough time / money training people how to use it effectively and efficiently.
Google wave is on the right track but there is a long way to go.
I LOVE google apps. it would would be awesome to be able to click on any section of text in either Calendar, Docs, Email and create links to other Calendar, Docs or Email items. and of course dragging and email to your calendar to create an appointment or task is a must.
Google apps also has the advantages of IM. I no Wave is similar but i still prefer Apps
Alex Mathewson
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 5:15 PMEmail dead? No, it helps me contact people at work I don’t want to talk to.
Daniel N
Wednesday, August 4, 2010 at 6:18 PMThere’s no question email has lost some relevance with the advent of IM, FB and all that (particularly at home).
I would argue though that email is still the most ubiquitous medium for written communication… some people may not have a FB account but I’ve never heard of anyone *not* having an email address. Except my Gran, god love her (she turns 90 this year).
Gary Tong
Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 1:23 AMEmail ftw.
fingerbeats
Thursday, August 5, 2010 at 10:34 AMI was serious expecting Prince to be on that panel after reading that headline..