E-Mail Reply to All: ‘Leave Me Alone’ – washingtonpost.com:
The supposed convenience of electronic mail, like so many other innovations of technology, has become too much for some people. Swamped by an unmanageable number of messages — the volume of e-mail traffic has nearly doubled in the past two years, according to research firm DYS Analytics — and plagued by annoying spam and viruses, some users are saying “Enough!”
Those declaring bankruptcy are swearing off e-mail entirely or, more commonly, deleting all old messages and starting fresh.
I just read through all mine, by the sender and subject, read the ones I need to, then set them all to “Read.” Then I can go back and review anything if I have the time and inclination, without feeling like I am behind. Of course, I don’t get anything like the volume I used to get but still, filters — set all email from people I don’t know, ie not in my address book, to one side and filter stuff out by company so people I work with are in their own mailbox — can really help. Makes me wonder how savvy these self-styled technocrats really are. Are they managing their inputs or are the inputs managing them?