How Fast Is Your Response Time? By Eric Vanwiltenburg

Computer mediated communication, on-line communities -- ahh, yes. Together these subjects have claimed the next spot on the "More-than-seven Wonders of the World" list. The human race is in the midst of an exponential growth rate in technology. Proponents rave about it; opponents curse it.

There is one aspect of this new computer mediated world that intrigues me. It is one of the most attractive features, yet it can be the most annoying. E-mail, yes e-mail. How can this be both the godsend and the pitfall of the modern, computer-based world?

You have undoubtedly experienced the benefits of e-mail directly. It's quick and easy to type a quick note to a loved one or send in an excuse to your boss for playing hooky. E-mail is less obtrusive than a phone call: you can check your e-mail at your convenience, rather than having your dinner interrupted by your mother-in-law. E-mail is cheaper than long distance phone calls, and (nearly) infinitely faster than yesterday's snail mail. And you can get responses to your e-mail rather quickly.

It is the fast response time that can both benefit and disadvantage computer users. On one hand, it is nice to get a response quickly. On the other hand, when quick responses are possible, they are expected. In the past, a letter may have taken a few weeks to reach a cross-country destination. The recipient was expected to take a few days to think about and formulate a response before sending a return letter. It was not uncommon to wait several weeks between sending a letter and receiving a response.

Today's fast-paced world expects results yesterday. Expected times for responses to e-mail range from a few hours to a few minutes. How can human beings keep up with this pace? Technology is developing at a rapid rate, while the human race itself is lagging behind, falling into the chasm of information overload, stress-related sickness, and fatigue.

Up until a year ago, I responded to my e-mail as soon as I could because I thought that was what people wanted. I soon found myself checking my e-mail several times every day, and spending hours typing thoughtless responses. I was an e-mail junky, getting close to forty messages daily. I had to change this before I could no longer handle it. I decided to make everyone wait for a response. Urgent issues were responded to in due time, and less important issues were put into a special folder, and the least important issues were put into the trash folder. I now take several days to respond to some e-mails, but it allows me to think about a response.

There must be thousands of e-mail junkies in the world today. Are you one of them? Can you keep up with your e-mail? How fast is your response time? Take some time and think about it.

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