[REBOL] Re: I've had it with email.
From: mat:plothatching at: 29-Jul-2002 16:04
Hi Charles,
>> I think there's lessons to be learnt in the take up of instant
>> messenger clients. I have no idea how one combats the momentum of
>> email but at least the instant messenger clients managed to get
>> installed and find wide use.
Charles> Getting a shy off topic, I have to disagree there.
I'm not sure what you're disagreeing with exactly. All I said was
there are lessons to be learned from them, I didn't advocate them
blindly nor did I claim they were spam-proof at any stage.
The point I was trying to illustrate was that instant messenger
clients have demonstrated that if a communications system offers
something they need above existing standards, then they can still take
off and become a big thing.
Charles> Another problem with IM clients is like phone - you *have* to
Charles> deal with the person *now*, or ignore them.
Well I agree it's a problem but it's also a feature and pretty much
why people took to them in the first place. It's a sort of point to
point IRC system. I use MSN Messenger as I find it a fairly light
weight solution that just works. On the other hand, I've turned off
all the 'display alerts' on events stuff to get around being
interrupted.
Charles> Email, you can get to it when you have time.
Or not at all. Or they forget. Etc. E-mail with a built-in bugging
system would be quite nice in fact, I guess that's more of a client
issue. I know I'd like my client to bug me that I haven't replied to
stuff. Forcing the issue, delete it, mark it to ignore deliberately or
get reminded to reply.
Of course even if I did that, no one else would use the same system.
Charles> Instant messaging leaves a lot to be desired, and I do not
Charles> believe should be used as an example of "how things should be
Charles> done."
Neither was I putting it forward as such, oddly enough.
Regards,
Mat.
