Talking of email, I happen to think that checking for new messages while at church, or in a meeting, is pretty cool, perhaps even necessary. As for any other situation... not so smart. In bed in their pajamas: 67%, From the bathroom: 59% (up from 53% last year), While driving: 50% (up from 37% last year), In a bar or club: 39%, In a business meeting: 38%, During happy ... Read full entry

"Spam isn't a technical problem, it's a social one." John Levine on why there is little point in devising a more secure alternative to the SMTP email standard. The reason that e-mail is uniquely useful is that you can exchange mail with people you don't already know. The reason that spam exists is that you can exchange mail with people you don't already know.

Email, instant messaging, mobile phones, and social networks, are all responsible for impacting on attention spans and disrupting workplace productivity, according to a recent study which confirms what many of us have known for sometime... A typical information worker who sits at a computer all day turns to his e-mail program more than 50 times and uses instant messaging 77 times, according to one measure by RescueTime, a company ... Read full entry

E-mail inventor: I didn't foresee spam Ray Tomlinson, the creator of email, or the "Send Message Program" as it was originally named, laments the rise of spam in what is an otherwise fascinating article on the history of email. One problem he had with the first e-mail program was finding a way to separate the person to whom one was addressing a message from the computer or network they were ... Read full entry

The contact form I had provided for readers to send me messages has not always been 100 per cent reliable so I have switched to an email based system. If you used the contact form to send me a message, and have heard nothing back, chances are I never saw your message in the first place. If I could trouble you to try again I would be most appreciative. Also disassociated.com's ... Read full entry

Building the case for Email Apnea Hopefully advances in medical technology and knowledge will offset the problems associated with advances in computer and communications technologies. But the first question, is "email apnea" an actual medical condition? Breath-holding and hyperventilating disturb our body's balance of oxygen, CO2, and NO. Nitric oxide, not to be confused with the nitrous oxide used in dental offices, plays an important role in our health. From a ... Read full entry

Writing Tip: Be Conversational. While aimed at bloggers, Meryl's tip can be applied more broadly. As I write this blog entry, I hear these words in my head and it sounds conversational. To verify you're writing conversationally, read your writing out loud and see how it flows. When I stumble or feel awkward during the reading, then it's a sign to make edits. Letters and emails should be written in a ... Read full entry

Ad nauseam: Facebook users to cop the hard sell. Here we go then. "The Facebook free ride is over as the social network now seeks to turn its 50-million-strong user base into an army of viral marketers." I'd like to see what they pull out of the hat though, there may be a monetising cue or two for bloggers to follow... Graceful E-Mail Obfuscation at A List ... Read full entry

World Usability Day is happening this year on November 8. "World Usability Day was founded to ensure that the services and products important to life are easier to access and simpler to use." Findings From the Web Design Survey: last April A List Apart invited web professionals worldwide to participate in a 37 question survey of the web industry, which resulted in some 33,000 responses. Cheryl Lead ... Read full entry