Email today - is it a blessing or a curse?

There’s no denying the fact that email has completely transformed the way we communicate with each other, both in our professional and personal lives. It has allowed for almost instant communication at a lower cost than ever before. But as great as email is, there are of course a few downsides to consider. Here we’ll take a look at the pros and cons of email to decide whether it is in fact a blessing or a curse!

Email pros:

It’s free to use

Most of us love a good freebie, making email a favourable method of communication. All you need is a free email account from the likes of Gmail and a connection to the internet and you can message people to your heart’s content. Did you ever stop to think what it would be like to not have access to your e-mail?

Quick communication

Whether you’re emailing someone in the same office or half way around the world, email allows for super quick communication. Emails can be received and replied to in an instant, making them an effective way of communicating with others. What’s more, they can be sent and received at any time of day or night and seeing as most people have their smartphones within arm’s reach, they can access their emails instantly.

Saves time

One of the great things about email is that it allows you to communicate the same message to multiple contacts at the same time. You can also forward messages and copy people into messages with just a click of the mouse, saving you a significant amount of time and effort.

Easily attach files and images

In addition to text, you can also send files, images and even video clips via email. This is great for collaborative working in the workplace, as well as marketing products and services to customers.

Email cons:

Spam

Did you know that up to two thirds of emails sent are classed as spam? That’s a lot of junk to be clogging up your inbox! Luckily most people have spam filters set up on their email to get rid of some of the rubbish but there’s still some that manage to worm their way through to inboxes.

Time consuming

As quick as emails are to send, they can take forever to read and reply to, especially if you have hundreds to open every time you check your inbox. Email is often blamed for lack of productivity in the workplace as staff are so busy checking their emails; they aren’t working on other more important tasks.

Threat to your system

Emails also pose potential threats to your computer or IT system. Unfortunately there are some pretty awful people out there who spend time sending out fake emails to steal your information or download harmful viruses and malware onto your computer.

Be on the look out for suspicious emails and always check the sender’s address before downloading any attachments. Make sure all attachments are scanned using anti-virus software before opening them.

If the email isn’t addressed to you personally, comes from a weird-looking email address or offers something too good to be true, mark it as spam and delete it.

So is email a blessing or a curse?

Sure, there are definitely a few downsides to email i.e. viruses, scams and spam but all in all, it still remains one of the most effective forms of communication available today.

Providing you are careful when opening emails, use effective email scanning software and are proactive in keeping your inbox volume low, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy more of the pros and less of the cons.

Email is certainly a blessing, even if sometimes it feels like a curse!

Grant McGregor are specialists in e-mail Management, give us a call to discuss your email implementation, we can make suggestions for enhancements and improved security so your email is a blessing for your business.

Whether it’s server-based Exchange email systems, Office 365 hosted email or archiving, searching and managing your email, we’ve got the expertise to help you.

So pick up the phone and call us on 0131 603 7910 for a no nonsense chat about your email troubles or send us an email to info@grantmcgregor.co.uk

 
Image credit: hegarty_david