
Email’s About to Die, Argues Facebook Co-Founder - trey_swann
http://www.wired.com/business/2014/01/next-big-thing-missed-facebook-co-founder-says-email
======
plg
"he took it upon himself to create a new kind of communications system for
Facebook that could relieve some of the pain, bringing project management and
communication into a single application"

There are tons of these things floating around, e.g. Basecamp from 37Signals

The thing about email though is that it's (a) free, (b) distributed not
centralized (unless you choose to use a centralized service like gmail), and
(c) the mental model is totally accessible to all including my grandma.

I don't see email going away.

On the other hand I do see Facebook going away.

zing!

~~~
chany2
Hahaha; if you read the comments in the article, they were vicious. The
subject line was just shock value - granted Asana is a good application that
many use.

I just don't think they should go up against Email. Historically Email have
won many times (there are few exceptions like company impose Yammer)

------
krapp
> TL;DR - Ex-Facebook exec creates a startup to replace email, insists email
> is dead and we should all pay him to drag away the corpse. Email refuses to
> die.

~~~
dancounsell
This startup will fail. While I hate how antiquated email is, at least it's
fairly decentralised.

~~~
krapp
Its simplicity accounts for its robustness. In a hundred years I can still see
something very much like like email working precisely because it is simple.

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reachue
I think e-mail is here to stay for awhile longer.

------
chany2
"[There is no problem with Email itself.] The real problems we face are ones
of organization, discovery, workflow, meaningful semantics, and overwhelmingly
managing information overload." \- someone's comment on Hackernews about
Email's Problem

================================

Deep analysis of Email:

\- Email is our medium of communication. Yes, for personal, we have social
apps. For professional, we have LinkedIn messages - which is actually directed
back to email. For internal small companies, there are Asana, and Basecamp.
For larger groups, there is Yammer.

However Emails still cuts through all of those and everything in between
because its just agnostic. Also it enables external communication as oppose to
those internal structures.

\- Email is also associated with behavior. Implanted to us since the internet.
(Actually before the internet.) It is built into our mobiles, our laptops.
Tough to tell someone to not use it.

================================

Possible Solutions:

\- Behavioral: Slow transition is required. Little by little.

Examples:

1) Require where the group is going. I tell you to give up email, and use
Asana tomorrow. Sounds great but you probably wouldn't (or not yet). If I give
you 3 months, tell you that all people you know will slowly be using Yammer
and you will get less and less emails. Then you would say yes. Big change but
require time and group use.

2) Think about Boomerang, a small plugin, a small behavior change that helps -
people started to incorporate it into their email use. Little behavioral
change, big gain.

3) Think about Rapportive, highlight recipient info, small change, now many
people use it. Little to no behavioral change.

4) However, Ping or Hop, making email into Instant Messages. Possible in the
future, but not right now because it is a big jump in the way we view Email.
Almost 'eliminating' how we write email. Big behavioral change.

================================

\- Interface change (small incremental UI and UX) on the recipient's side.

Examples:

1) Mailbox, is literally email but with added features to enhance use. Snooze,
and swipe.

2) Gmail vs. Outlook. Both emails, better ease-of-use features.

================================

\- Reduction of Unnecessary Emails (FYI Emails)

Examples:

1) Gmail's filter tabs.

2) Apps like PeeqPeeq takes out your shopping newsletter, and puts it into
their app.

3) Startups like Square, Stripe, Buffer, and Khan Academy are now using
blackhole-mailing-list. CC everything FYI in. Access it when you have time.

4) Sharemoto.io [www.sharemoto.io] (shameless plug) is Sharepoint / Dropbox
for Emails. Personal use, hashtags for archiving email and email threads
regardless of subject line. Team use, hashtags become semantic topics and
users can be invited or follow these FYI topics. Ultimately, reduce CC emails
and view no action-required content at their own time.

