What Does The Red "!" On E-mails Mean?


Amanda Posted about what urgent e-mails mean to her. I thought I'd share what it means to me as well:

- This e-mail requires a response within the next 2 to 4 hour or something very bad will happen.

That's it. Anything else can usually wait for my normal e-mail processing or it's better to just pick-up the damn phone for instant communication. The BlackBerry has changed the "at the desk" perception of e-mail slightly but since many still don't have a BlackBerry or those who do (i.e. me) go through periods of ignoring them unless they get a priority message, you really have to treat e-mail as an "at the desk" type activity.
12:43 PM | 1 Comment

Comments

  1. I agree, the blackberry has fostered a new expectation of communication. However, I am also aware that users have an active role in establishing that convention (or social institution). For instance, when you remove the "sent from my blackberry device" in the footer, how does the user on the other end know you're sending from a blackberry? Unless a social agreement is already in place, the time in which you respond to emails conditions the pattern of use. For instance, you know I have a berry because I respond to your emails usually; within 2 mins; as short responses; often with typos; often not well thought out prose. Btw, comments are awesome-w00t! PING!
    tim on March 26, 2008, at 06:28 AMDeleteEdit