A little something for you to ponder

patwa_2

Hello.

In a world where the concept of time management is becoming ever more of a priority in day-to-day life, one would think that technology would assist in such matters. After all, we have computers that can calculate PI to a million decimal places, software that allows to dictate letters into the computer with 85% accuracy, and mobile phones that serve as our offices away from our desks.

Yet, the vast ocean with its raging tides that is the e-mail super highway remains a hurdel in this utopia of time management bliss. day after day, hour after hour, mails flood into our inboxes, containing everything from the day's latest market comments, to the latest viewings down at the local Odion, to next week's hot new bets, to half a dozen stores' weekly must-see newsletters, and of course, the one in a hundred mail from a true friend or colleague that truly deserves in our attention.

And whilst being bombarded with all this, no doubt, extremely vital information, at least as far as the authors are concerned, one might be excused for feeling a sense of drowning, of feeling the uncertainty that is every e-mail viewer's nightmare; which to read first, which to discard, or which to save for, hopefully, later perusal.

but wait, we mustn't jump to conclusions and condemn technology to eternal damnation, at least not just yet. There are programs that can sort this gauntlet of mail for us. Software that can filter the good from the bad, the peas from the pods, the worthwhile gems from the useless junk. There is software that can read our mails aloud, giving our eyes that much deserved rest, software that can even forward our mails to our mobile phones, so that we can never use that excuse of being 'cut off' from the world.

But alas, this never has, and never will, solve the underlying problem. that the final decision, the judge, jury and executioner of all e-mail in our inboxes, is, yes, you guessed it, us. Just because you might have only one message in your inbox today, that, of course being the 'Welcome to Outlook Express' message that you got at the dawn of time, oh how very long ago that seems, doesn't mean that you don't have one thousand other mails in your'To Read' folder, now does it? and you could just leave those one-thousand mails to fester, unread, like so many berries in an old jam jar, but seeing that figure '1000 unread' would just get depressing over time, now wouldnt it?

You may wonder what the point of this little verse is, why I'm devoting such time to write this on an admittedly glorious Tuesday morning, why, in the name of all that is techie in this world I would want to bore you to death in such an evil and uncompromising manner. You would, of course, have every right to do so. And the truth is, I'm curious. Yes, curious. Curious to know how you deal with your mail. You see, I'm one of those people who don't sleep much at night, don't sleep much during the day either for that matter, but that's neither here nor there. Bu the point is, I'm one of those people who have an unhealthy obsession with thinking. Reminissing. Pondering. Wondering. And just generally devoting vital brain power, hertz, whatever you wish to call it, to doing something other than what I could, or maybe should, be doing. I think about things, ask uestions, seek answers. for is it not said that questions lead to answers, knowledge is power, a man who knows all can rule the world, nobody ever got anywhere by knowing nothing, etc, etc?

But I fear that, either you've already hit that 'back' button on your browser, or else have, in some similar vain, given up on this verse, so perhaps I should continue.

This morning I did, as I usually do anything up to 25 times a day, log into my Gmail account. And I saw it, the damning number, message 1 of 2210. And it struck me, yes it did, that this was quite unacceptable. At 50 messages a page, it would take me over 45 pages to get to the beginning of my mailbox, which, in my opinion, is just appaulling. As if I have the time, or the inclination to do that. And then, I looked back through the last few pages, finding messages that I could have sworn I'd never read, but yet that were marked as such, and I realised. I realised my folly. I realised my blunder, my mistake. I, like so many of you, had fallen into the classic trap. Of trying to learn too much. Of trying to be everywhere, and yet nowhere, at once. Mail upon mail of newsletters, offers and daily alerts, just sitting there, unread and hitherto forgotten. And what did i do? I deleted them all, ruthlessly, uncaringly, I deleted them all. Each and every one of those read, yet unread, messages. 585 messages in total, I deleted. And you know, I felt better. i can look through my mailbox now and see only, useful, messages. Messages that I actually want to read. Messages that I actually have read.

So come on, 'fess up, we're all in the same boat. I know what I'm doing for the next hour or so, much as it pains me. Yes, you figured it. I'm unsubscribing from all of those forgotten, hitherto unread, newsletters. and I suppose it may well put meon the blacklists of a lot of people. but you know something? I don't care. I just don't care. For the first time in a long time, I'm free. I'm tidy. I'm managed.

Cheers and take care.

Hussein.

zacspeed_2

You don't like spam then.

patwa wrote:

but wait, we mustn't jump to conclusions and condom technology to eternal damnation

Bit of a Freudian slip there LOL

patwa_2

Thanks. Nearly spilt my coke reading that, corrected! Got a reputation to keep alive, lol!

Cheers and take care.

Hussein.

Ken68

Coke and Spam, a feast.

Wombat

http://www.spamihilator.com/

Check it works with Gmail first, though.

MercilessKiller

Easy solution.

One email account for sign ups

One email account for friends/family/VIP sign ups

Sorted.

Cardew

Nice post Patwa.

I had to clear out the house of an elderly relative who died recently. I swear he hadn't thrown out a single letter or leaflet for over 60 years. The spare bedroom and loft was filled with box after box. It took days to get rid of it even without reading 99%.

At least when our time comes a click of the mouse will suffice.

patwa_2

Hi. Thanks for the suggestions. I was more just thinking aloud than looking for anti-spam solutions - just one of my philosophical moments.

Cardew, too true, too true.

Cheers and take care.

Hussein.

Ken68

Reckon your namesake in Iraq could murder a spam sandwich.