The 5 Types of Email
How many times a week does your inbox flood with mail, and yet you’re disappointed and feel like none of it is worthwhile?
I’ve noticed this happening more and more with the dozens of emails I receive every day. I eagerly scan the incoming subject lines and who they’re from, and more often than not, I sigh and lean back in my chair because it’s all junk. Maybe junk I opted in for, or junk that I am sort of interested in but just not in the mood for at the time. In any case, I find that they mostly fall into one of these 5 categories:
- Spam, spam, spam. It’s not even creative anymore. And those phishing attempts? Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. But the fact that people are still bothering means that there are a few suckers out there keeping the needle in a haystack method attractive for unscrupulous folk.
- Newsletters. Most of the time there’s a sale announcement or a coupon from stores/companies/organizations for which I am a patron, which is fine. But after a few newsletters, I usually realize that the content is the same and the email’s only worth opening if I have a specific need to purchase something. I probably subscribe to too many newsletters, but I have just enough interest in their content or products to put up with frequent emails.
- Boring. Bills, statements, order information, automated notifications or confirmations. All that business-y types of stuff that is relevant, but not usually exciting.
- Semi-interesting. These are usually emails that seem interesting upon first glance, but turn out to be forwards, rickrolls, or misleading subject lines. Or from an email group that sometimes has useful or interesting content.
- Good stuff. Personal email from acquaintances, friends, fans, and family. These are always the first ones I open (even if I’m a horrible slacker and don’t respond as quickly as I intend to).
I think my inbox apathy really mirrors the allure of personal snail mail; The best kind of mail to receive has a familiar return address and your name hand-written on the front.
When’s the last time you sent a handwritten letter to someone? I sealed up a letter to my teenage cousin a couple hours ago and will send it out tomorrow. It definitely takes more time, thought, and effort to write a letter the old-fashioned way… but as a recipient, that’s what I value the most.
I would add a 6th type of email: The political email, usually a joke, sent by a family member or friend, who just assumes (without bothering to find out) that you share political ideologies. I can’t tell you how many of these I have received from people I couldn’t be further away from in political opinion. They would probably be at least surprised, possibly embarrassed if they knew the truth. It’s funny, I’ve never expressed my opinion either way, it’s just a huge assumption on their part.
You’re probably not as much of an email slacker as you think. People tend to expect instantaneous replies to their emails, which I find rather silly.
I found you via NaBloPoMo, by the way. Happy November to you.
~Tui
Yeah, I agree…I tend not to be a slacker on e-mail (most of the time) from those I like to get e-mail from! I agree with BeachBum about the political e-mail. I’m sure my cousin has decided I’m the anti-Christ instead of Obama if she heard about my Obama/Biden bumper sticker. She doesn’t read my blog – I have to be discreet on who I share that with. In my family, that is.
Hope all is well!
Thanks for your comments!
BeachBum, I think that the political email that completely misses the mark would still fall under category #4… maybe I should change the category name to “semi-interesting and/or misleading.” Because your friend/family member is misled to assume (even if you’ve given them no reason) that you’d appreciate their email.
Oooo, but if they know you won’t appreciate it and send it anyway… I totally forgot about inflammatory emails. Perhaps your type of email would instead fall under “Inflammatory” whether or not it was intended to be that way?
Tui, thanks for stopping by! But really, I am an email slacker…
And Idaho, I know how you feel about family who don’t align politically (or religiously, for that matter). I tend to ask myself the question, “Is there even a remote chance that I would be friends with this person had we not been related?” If that answer is something along the lines of No Way in Hell, then I feel a lot less guilty about the whole thing. I am still civil if forced into their company, but would never share my blog with them!
The 5 types of email are indeed true. The ones that I hate most are those that have been forwarded (which fall under type 4) saying that a loved one will die if that email will not be forwarded. eeeww. to think the message was such non sense.