I may not be too old-fashioned as to still send hand-written postcards with stamps, but I'm a firm believer in emails. Still.In this age, (and I'm not speaking in business-related concept), emails are getting exceptionally foreign and rare to find. It's easier to just send a text message and chat in various instant messenger services over the net. People hardly ever send emails to each other again, and hasn't it been not too long ago that emails-phenomenon itself was booming and you received mails for the most insignificant and unimportant thing ever?
(I used to receive so many chain-emails from friends with various topics from 'have you believed in Jesus?' to 'warning for contact lens' users!' But these days the only 'junk' emails I got, so to speak, are those information involving viagra. Seriously.)
It used to be 'what's your e-mail address?', and now it's all about 'do you have MSN?' and 'what's your facebook address?' When you meet new people, it's exciting to get to know each other through emails first; ask and get the answer, but now? Just from facebook you could know the most intimate, detailed information about the other person that easily. You don't even have to work for it. Suddenly, he saw your less-than-attractive drunken pictures taken eons ago. No wonder it's harder to meet someone special nowadays.
I mean, I love chatting too and most people know I'm more of a SMS-person rather than a phone-person, but when it comes to emails, I think it serves an entirely different purpose and thus, is still irreplaceable.
(Besides, I'm a lot wittier in e-mails. Or so I'd like to think.)
A friend and I have been talking through e-mails for a long time now, but lately we have gotten lazier and opted for the easier messenger instead. Rather, he has. So I sent him an email again last night to get ourselves back to our roots, but he decided to 'just wait 'til you (meaning me) get online to reply.' See? He was all like, 'I feel like talking to a wall, I like chatting instead 'cos I can know your reaction immediately.'
Like all things in the world, email too isn't perfect. But how could he, or you all, forget that email is still a wonderful thing? It has taken us so long to get here, we should still embrace and celebrate the wonder of being able to truly ramble and tell long stories without distraction and instant mockery from the other party! Don't deny us from our rights!
Sorry, got carried away there.
It's the most traditional way to communicate in this all-digital world, and let's not forget that. I mean, I like writing email and receiving one; it feels more personal, and liberating.
Maybe I should remind my friend, and you all, why we should still rejoice emails even though there are newer (not necessarily better) ways to achieve the same purpose.
Email is easy. There won't be any bills to settle and you can compose emails in five hours (or whatever long you want), in between lunch, television, or any other activities. [insertions here] Totally non-intrusive.
Email is cheap! It's practically free since almost all of you have all-around-the-clock internet connection anyway. Unlike long-distance telephone calls, international smses, you can communicate until your fingers are crammed with anyone on earth.
Email is fast, it takes only a second (or a minute, max) to get your 5-pages long rambling email to reach its destination wherever, may it be to a neighbour across the street, or to anyone on the other side of the planet. 5 pages? Hell, try 10 pages long. Can do!
Emails can be stored. It's easy to save messages and open them again in the future. Unless your computer died of old age, it's most likely that your emails will outlive you. Ha-ha.
Emails is flexible. You can attach pictures, sound files, videos and documents; you can choose to send one email to a number of different people, and it's worldly universal.
Let's all take a step back and remember why emails were awesome in the first place. Just because there's a crispy chicken, doesn't mean the original isn't as good. (Okay, bad metaphor.) I just miss the more conventional way, that anticipation of waiting for a reply, taking pleasure in reading a sort-of-letter (well, it's as close to actual letter than anything else in this era, right?), and express your inner dorkiness when you write one.
I can't believe I put this much emphasis on emails, but hey, a girl has to speak her mind. Instant messengers are great, but there's still no such thing as email. Use it!