25 January 2007

E-mail: Dying or thriving?

By Jim Pinto

Do you still use e-mail? I do. But, I’ve got to tell you, with the huge amounts of spam and virus attacks, it’s become a pain.

I have many e-mail addresses on my Web site (eg: webmaster@jimpinto.com), and they all get lots of spam e-mails: lottery-winning announcements, offers for sharing inheritance, cheap medications, and enticements for free porn sites to name a few. Frankly, 95% of my e-mail is now spam; hey, maybe even 98%.

And then, when this article hits ISA’s InTech Web site, my e-mail address appears in the byline, and the spammers bots and spiders and Web-crawlers pick this up, and I get more spam. For this reason, some people don’t want their e-mails published. But hey, how does one get in touch these days without e-mail?

Of course I have anti-spam and anti-virus protection. But rather than lose any valid e-mails, my spam goes into a folder for review, and once in a while I do retrieve a good message. But, when reviewing 150 messages in the spam folder, it’s easy to miss one good one. Whatodo?

If you send me an InTech e-News response, and I don’t respond (within about a week), please re-send. I always respond. Perhaps your e-mail got stuck in my spam-folder, and I inadvertently deleted it.

Virus attacks are incessant—attached files disguised as attachments from friends and business associates. Someone complained his anti-virus program found a dangerous attachment from me. It didn’t. It clearly came from some Rumanian server that faked my e-mail address.

Many people use spam-filter services to create “allowed lists.” They politely request a response by entering a code (shown as a picture, not text), showing you’re a human, not just a spam-spewing computer. When you enter the code, your e-mail becomes valid, and you’re now on their valid-e-mail list. Hey, I like that system, and might signup for that kind of service soon. I can’t think of anything better. Any suggestions?

My son Chris tells me “e-mail is for old people.” He and his friends have Trillian, which allows text-messages from AIM, MSN, or any other instant-message service, on your computer or cellphone. The problem is when I’m not on my computer, the “instant” message just lays there. And when I am at my computer, the expected “instant” response is un-nerving. I prefer e-mail because I get it when I’m ready, and respond when I’m ready.

Is e-mail dead? Or at least dying? Articles have said most teenagers prefer instant messaging or text messaging, for talking to friends and use e-mail only to communicate with “old people,” or with companies or groups of people. E-mail is, like, so yesterday. And USA Today claims “E-mail is so last millennium.”

Well, e-mail isn’t dying, but it certainly has become ill.

Related links:

• Wikipedia - E-mail spam:
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E-mail_spam
• Virus infections drop, spam on the up:
  http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/10/04/viruses_down_spam_up/
• Teens: E-mail is for old people:
  http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20061002-7877.html

Behind the byline

Jim Pinto is an industry analyst and founder of Action Instruments. You can e-mail him at jim@jimpinto.com or view his writings at www.JimPinto.com. Read the Table of Contents of his book, Pinto’s Points at www.jimpinto.com/writings/points.html.