Is eMail dying?

Is eMail dying?

As someone who has been using a mobile device that supports (near) real time eMail synchronisation for a while now, its alarming to know that eMail is dying. In this context purely limited to as a channel for ‘personal communication’

It feels just a few years back that a big software giant like Microsoft bought out Hotmail. Then came in time of Unlimited eMail space, that spoiled us out of the habit of wanting to delete any of our emails. A habit that also ensured that now you will subscribe to a lot of thrash so that you keep getting mails without sparing a though on whether or not you need them! So in came stupid newsletters, subscriptions and what not. Every one jumped into email as a hot marketing channel.
Business to Consumers communication ‘thrashed’ this channel to fullest both in form or SPAM, as well as err.. SPAM! The definition of SPAM changed. Even the mail that you ‘agreed’ to receive was now being ‘treated’ as SPAM, both by us and the email client.

One interesting observation in the field of channels of communication is that whether you like it or not users have always embraced advancements in technology. Be it the quill, the pen, letters, telegraph, telephone, fax, SMS, internet and email and until now recently Social Media.

Another interesting tangent to it is that each of this has reduced the strength of the previous one. I mean, Yes it is an obvious rule of an additional ‘channel’ causing more ‘dilution’.
But in this scenario with an addition of a convenient channel…the predecessor has (almost) succumbed.

So what’s the big deal? eMail isn’t the first ‘thing’ to die!
Well, yes it isn’t! But remember, most good things are remembered post their death, may be there is a need to remember it before hand this one time.

Ever wondered why the email ID grew so important? Its perhaps one of the first ‘linkages’ with the whole world wide web that we had. No wonder its called as the Internet Glue, every thing around our web presence revolves around this now dying email ID.

Go back to your inbox’s, how many mails do you have in it?
How many of them are from friends? Or someone whom you would want to exchange mails?
Not many I suppose!

Ok so it was of supreme importance, but now its dying. SO WHAT?
Let its death not go waste? The point isn’t that whether or not email is dying. Infact if you put up a google search on the topic. The very first page will display a result of an article written in 2004!
Pretty ironic that this is the time when Google launched gmail. Something that would extend the life of the concept for many more moons, revolutionise your habit. A habit of hoarding, which now comes naturally.
As I write this, you would know about Project Titan, the email from FaceBook, very soon you will see this getting popular. Infact facebook has been doing a lot of things differently, like allowing you to change your ’email ID’ which is also your login ID! Something not everyone does.
FB has been smartly enriching the social experience and now who knows this seemingly stupid eMail format followed by facebook, might JUST breath in a fresh wave of life.

Is that it?
NO! Take this also as a reminder all those ‘Social Media’ pundits. Something as important as ones ‘identity’ on the www could die due to over exploitation. That, despite it being ‘personal’ and locked in the confines of ones inbox!

Chances are that the same mistake with social media, especially with the amount of visibilty in the social circle could and would do more damage than it would/could help!

Wake up!