E-mail was considered to be the personal computer’s first “killer app.” But these days, some pundits are expressing concern that the “killer app” may end up being “killed off” by social networking sites such as Facebook, FriendFeed and Twitter.
A recent report on the BBC predicted that communication via social networking sites would increase twenty-fold over the next 10 years; while communication via standard e-mail programs is expected to decline. Some experts have gone so far as to call social networking “the new e-mail,” or “e-mail 2.0.”
The fact is, as users become used to posting frequent status updates on social networking sites, there is less need for communication via standard e-mail. Of course, there’s no denying that posting status updates on social networking sites such as Facebook is a “lighter” form of communication and actual mail or e-mail. But it is nevertheless a form of communication that keeps friends and family, members, and even coworkers connected throughout the day.
And because people are able to stay up-to-date on the whereabouts and “goings-on’s” of their friends and family on social networking sites, they are naturally sending less e-mails back and forth to stay connected.
Another problem, of course, is spam. Dealing with unwanted spam e-mails is a major pain from most people, and could be fueling the trend toward social network communication.
So is this the beginning of the end for e-mail? Probably not, but in the fast-paced world of Web 2.0 you can never be sure. Most pundits predict that e-mail will continue to thrive as a more “formal” method of communication. For example, a formal e-mail might be sent to apply for a job or other serious inquiry where social networking communication would be seen as flippant and unbusinesslike.
The big challenge for e-mail in the Web 2.0 era is to adapt and change to modern ways of communicating. Google has taken the lead on this with their mega-popular G-mail program, adding instant messaging, access to AIM Chat, video support and more. But the odds are that G-mail (and other web-based e-mail programs) will have to change even more in order to keep up with the new social networking-oriented nature of the Web.
The other new phenomena that is helping to push e-mail to the side is Twitter. Twitter it is described as a type of micro blog, where users give instant status updates to all of their “followers” (family, friends, coworkers, etc.). again, this type of instant communication largely renders sending e-mails unnecessary.
One thing is for certain: with social networking communication growing by leaps and bounds, e-mail programs are going to have to adapt to the new realities of Web 2.0 in order to stay relevant.
I think that it will take a long time for social networking to kill email completely. But, yes, I agree it’s already happening and many people feel it. Many not most of them. Corporate emails are still pretty strong. Even bloggers often leave an email address for their readers to contact them.
The main problem with email is that it buries information. But this problem can be solved. At least it looks like it. There are Web 2.0 tools that can work with emails and turn them into a productivity tool. I recently came one of such tools, Wrike.com I’m sure there are others. So don’t you think that there’s an interesting tendency emerging?
Comment by Eric — April 16, 2009 @ 7:54 am