Comments on: How I deal with email. http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/ Education. Technology. Productivity. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:57:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Anonymoushttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6321 Anonymous Mon, 21 Dec 2009 08:40:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6321 I think that with the volume of email I have to deal with (c. 30-40/day) I can usually manage fine. It's the unsolicited stuff (from Twitterers, forumites and the like) that I forget about. If the Head of Science has asked me to do something - or the Head - then I can remember pretty reliably. I think that with the volume of email I have to deal with (c. 30-40/day) I can usually manage fine. It’s the unsolicited stuff (from Twitterers, forumites and the like) that I forget about. If the Head of Science has asked me to do something – or the Head – then I can remember pretty reliably.

]]> By: Doug Belshawhttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6320 Doug Belshaw Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:58:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6320 The trouble with marking things 'unread' is that you have the tyranny of 'X no. of emails unread' (which is similar to what you get with RSS readers'. I much prefer starring them. In fact, I *might* start 'super-starring' them in GMail (Google Labs option) :-D The trouble with marking things ‘unread’ is that you have the tyranny of ‘X no. of emails unread’ (which is similar to what you get with RSS readers’. I much prefer starring them.

In fact, I *might* start ‘super-starring’ them in GMail (Google Labs option) :-D

]]> By: Doug Belshawhttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6319 Doug Belshaw Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:57:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6319 Yes, it's all about 'flow', isn't it Ian? Sometimes things interrupt your flow, sometimes they don't! Yes, it’s all about ‘flow’, isn’t it Ian? Sometimes things interrupt your flow, sometimes they don’t!

]]> By: Doug Belshawhttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6318 Doug Belshaw Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:56:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6318 Thanks Kelly! If you stay on top of your email, then receiving blog updates via that method isn't too bad. The other good thing is that it means you're much more likely to unsubscribe to blogs you don't find amazingly relevant. :-) Thanks Kelly! If you stay on top of your email, then receiving blog updates via that method isn’t too bad. The other good thing is that it means you’re much more likely to unsubscribe to blogs you don’t find amazingly relevant. :-)

]]> By: Doug Belshawhttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6317 Doug Belshaw Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:55:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6317 The trouble with that system is that you get a reputation for being disorganized. I'm not *particularly* bothered about that, but it's not great for internal promotion, etc. ;-) The trouble with that system is that you get a reputation for being disorganized. I’m not *particularly* bothered about that, but it’s not great for internal promotion, etc. ;-)

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6316 Anonymous Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:53:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6316 I use a similar type of system when reading Twitter on my iPhone. When I see useful posts that I want to refer to later I 'favorite' the tweets and then I'll come back to them later. Often this is so I can email them on to other staff. My email system is to read all my emails, deal with urgent ones ASAP and mark ones for later as unread. I use a similar type of system when reading Twitter on my iPhone. When I see useful posts that I want to refer to later I ‘favorite’ the tweets and then I’ll come back to them later. Often this is so I can email them on to other staff.

My email system is to read all my emails, deal with urgent ones ASAP and mark ones for later as unread.

]]> By: Ian Squirehttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6315 Ian Squire Sun, 20 Dec 2009 22:22:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6315 I used to check email two maybe three times an hour and if a notification came up in the corner I stopped what I was doing. Now I only open the mailbox 3 times a day and never just before I am going home. Have I missed a few opportunities? Maybe, but have I also met more deadlines and remained focused to then task in hand? Certainly! I also use email notification rather than RSS. Homework complete, I hope. I used to check email two maybe three times an hour and if a notification came up in the corner I stopped what I was doing. Now I only open the mailbox 3 times a day and never just before I am going home. Have I missed a few opportunities? Maybe, but have I also met more deadlines and remained focused to then task in hand? Certainly!

I also use email notification rather than RSS.
Homework complete, I hope.

]]> By: Kelly Faulknerhttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6314 Kelly Faulkner Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:44:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6314 here's my homework teach! that's a pretty straightforward system, doug. i like an empty inbox myself, so i do something similar. check email often, respond to important ones, archive everything, and delete any junk (though i try to take care of this by not receiving in the first place). the rss feed, though, i think i'd freak out if it showed up in my email! i check it 3 times daily, open any links immediately that are of interest, then bookmark in diigo as needed. there IS nothing worse than seeing several hundred (or, heaven forbid, thousands) of items in the feed! here’s my homework teach! that’s a pretty straightforward system, doug. i like an empty inbox myself, so i do something similar. check email often, respond to important ones, archive everything, and delete any junk (though i try to take care of this by not receiving in the first place).

the rss feed, though, i think i’d freak out if it showed up in my email! i check it 3 times daily, open any links immediately that are of interest, then bookmark in diigo as needed. there IS nothing worse than seeing several hundred (or, heaven forbid, thousands) of items in the feed!

]]> By: Anonymoushttp://dougbelshaw.com/blog/2009/12/20/how-i-deal-with-email-2/comment-page-1/#comment-6313 Anonymous Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:39:00 +0000 http://dougbelshaw.com/blog/?p=3919#comment-6313 TBH I've stopped reading RSS at all and manually visit just 2 or 3 blogs, and then infrequently. I tend to read individual posts when highlighted in twitter instead. As for email, I tend to reply/act (or not) straight away and tell everyone I meet to feel free to pester me as I *will* forget things and I *won't* take offence at a polite (or even firm) nudge. TBH I’ve stopped reading RSS at all and manually visit just 2 or 3 blogs, and then infrequently. I tend to read individual posts when highlighted in twitter instead.

As for email, I tend to reply/act (or not) straight away and tell everyone I meet to feel free to pester me as I *will* forget things and I *won’t* take offence at a polite (or even firm) nudge.

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