The Power and Evolution of Email Communication

The Rise of Email Communication

The number of emails you find in your inbox each day is likely more than one. A report by Jupiter Research predicts that commercial email spending will skyrocket from $164 million in 1999 to a whopping $7.3 billion in 2005, indicating a forty-fold increase in email volume.

The average number of commercial emails received by US online consumers annually is also expected to rise from 40 in 1999 to over 1,600 in 2005. Non-marketing and personal correspondence will more than double from approximately 1,750 in 1999 to nearly 4,000 in 2005.

Email is undeniably one of the fastest-growing methods of communication. We are in the midst of a communications revolution, and it's interesting to note that we are once again relying on one of the earliest forms of mass communication - the written word.

The Evolution of Communication Terminology

Language is a dynamic entity that has historically kept pace with technological advancements. For instance, when electricity was discovered, it was named after the Greek word for "amber", elektron, and the Latin word for "amber", electrum. This was due to the magnetic effect produced by rubbing amber or glass, which was the only known use for electricity until Benjamin Franklin's famous kite experiment.

The telegraph, the first major breakthrough in rapid mass communication, derives its name from the Greek words tele, meaning "far off", and graphein, meaning "to write, draw or represent by lines".

Television combines the Greek tele and the Latin visus, the past participle of the verb "to see".

The term "computer" is derived from the Latin computatio, meaning "a reckoning", as early computers were primarily used for calculations.

However, the rapid growth of the World Wide Web has outpaced our linguistic resources. As a temporary solution, we've adopted the prefix "E" to denote anything related to the internet, resulting in terms like e-commerce, e-books, and e-mail.

The Need for Sensible Email Terminology

With email now a permanent fixture in our lives, it's time to develop sensible terminology to describe it. For instance, we could start referring to emails as "e-notes", a term that succinctly captures this quick and efficient mode of communication.

Just because email is fast doesn't mean we should be lax in our language use. The ease of sending an e-note to one or a thousand people can lead to treating email like a casual note on the fridge, rather than a serious form of communication.

The Importance of Proper Email Etiquette

Every day, countless messages filled with symbols, numbers, and abbreviations are sent through cyberspace. While these may convey complex ideas and thoughts, not everyone is familiar with such shorthand, and subtleties of meaning can easily be lost.

Email is a legitimate form of communication, and there are conventions that govern its use. To avoid costly and embarrassing mistakes, it's important to familiarize oneself with proper email etiquette.

The internet has enabled us to communicate with people worldwide, and the way we write is often the only basis for others to form an opinion about us. If you feel you could benefit from a refresher course in writing or some tips to improve your expression, consider visiting Write101 for free articles on the subject.