This is something I have had on my mind for a long time. It seems that there is a regression of etiquette in society. Back in the days of the caveman, if someone left a dead Zebra in front of your cave, you would know to contact Thog. Because Thog always leaves a Zebra.
In the days of the Egyptians, if someone left a message of papyrus in front of your pyramid, you would get back to them before the next sundown.
In the Dark Ages, if someone shot an arrow into your gardener with a note attached to it, you would get back to that person. Either with another arrow, or by some other means. Maybe a pigeon.
In the New World, if someone came and pinned a message to your 3 corner hat, indicating he would be flying a kite in the field during the storm, you would get back to that person soon before he did something stupid.
Then came the telephone. We could take the opportunity to call someone, sometimes they could answer the call, sometimes they couldn't. If someone was home, you could leave a message. Then that person would get back to you.
Then they invented the answering machine. Sometimes the tape was full, so someone could use that as an excuse as to why they didn't call you back. But this was rare. With a phone call, there was no face, just a voice. Perhaps you would feel guilty hearing someone's voice, so you would return their call. Just enough of a 'personal touch' that caused us to have to stay 'in touch'.
Now we have email. Email has created almost a perfect hiding place. No face, no voice. Just letters. And for this reason, I believe, people are more inclined to not respond to email.
I can't handle it when people don't respond to email. To me it is the ultimate insult. Right up there with throwing your shoes at the President. I'm not talking about 'spam' or those 'chain' emails, I am talking about a bonafide email, with real content. Business, personal or otherwise. I guess if they can't hear me or see me, they feel no need, no guilt, no reason to respond. Well, I have had it. Starting tomorrow if you don't respond to my emails, watch out.
I won't respond to yours.
It seems that eventually we will just discontinue having to communicate with each other at all.
3 comments:
I was going to answer that email today . . . I swear.
Wait....what about those of us used to getting only ads for viagra, cheap watches and Latino Singles waiting to meet us! We just aren't used to checking our email every day! Give us a break...call, leave a message on our answering machine telling us you wrote...
You're just funny. I liked the "throwing your shoes at the President" comment. I heard about that too.
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