

Ask HN: how do you keep up with your inbox? - adriand

I saw a comment just now that said Google Wave might be tough for people who already have trouble keeping up with their inbox.  I never really considered the idea that I might not be the only person who is having trouble staying on top of email.  This seems absurd, but most people I know don't seem to have this problem, although I don't think they get as many emails as I do.<p>I estimate I get approximately 100 emails per day, many of which don't just require a reply, they also require me to do something (I'm a web developer and project manager).  I'm sure others get more emails than this (and perhaps manage it fine), but I'm finding it increasingly difficult to read and respond to emails in a timely fashion.  I'm also finding that email has become disruptive to my ability to get other things done.  I often have to open my email to either send emails or to retrieve information, which means I always see all the mail and feel compelled to deal with it.<p>At this point I'm feeling like various technological solutions (labels, stars, etc.) just aren't cutting it.  I am tempted to just start letting certain emails slide, which bothers me from a customer service point of view.  What have you found helps you manage the constant barrage of emails?  Is there a solution or are we just stuck dealing with this incessant flood of email?
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zjj
\- check mail at most once an hour when programming

\- keep your mail unread if it requires an action, don't look back at read
mails in your inbox (send old inbox mails to some other folder once a week for
example)

\- try not to keep old mails without actions for too much time... if a mail
will have to wait, send it to another folder so that your inbox is always
small and easy to check (around 10 unread mails at the end of each day)

\- send mails that require an action to a todo folder; reply mails that
require an answer immediately before you forget them

works for me

~~~
mahmud
_\- check mail at most once an hour when programming_

And you will get _nothing_ done. Programming should run at negative nice.
Nothing should interrupt it.

------
shubhamharnal
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