Coding Horror: Email: The Variable Reinforcement Machine

We’re so ecstatic to get that single useful email out of hundreds that we can’t keep ourselves from compulsively pressing the new email lever over and over and over, hoping it will happen again soon, like the caged rats in Skinners’ experiments.

So many great quotes and ideas here that I chose this one because it is so provocative especially when taken out of context.

I think what I like most about this, YAEIER™ (yet another email is evil rant), is that while all the right notes are hit about the problem, the solution offered is just as smart:

Instead of abusing email as a “one size fits all” conduit for communication, be smart. Know when to escalate your communication to the right medium for the particular message you’re trying to deliver.

Brilliant. Just brilliant. Stop every email you are reading and go here now.