Discover Why Email Remains the Most Reliable Communication Tool Online

In today's digital landscape, businesses rely on project management systems, and social interactions flourish on messengers and social networks. Many believe email is an outdated relic destined to vanish. But is that truly the case? Let's explore this together.

Voices from all directions claim that email is obsolete. For instance, BusinessWeek recently stated, "Email is dead, at least that's the belief in Silicon Valley." Justin Rosenstein, co-founder of the project management tool Asana, also describes email as a "counterproductive tool." Meanwhile, the creators of Slack, a service marketed as a replacement for messengers and email, boast about "saving the world from 70 million emails."

Not only entrepreneurs but also many millennials view email as archaic. For them, emailing is a hassle.

Students see little value in email. The younger generation believes there are faster and more convenient communication channels than the cumbersome email.

According to Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, despite these premature and sometimes exaggerated opinions, many remain convinced that email is still the best thing the internet offers.

The Resilient Cockroach of the Web

Sending an email—what could be simpler? Aaron Straup Cope

Aaron Straup Cope, Senior Engineer at the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum, counters claims that email's time has passed with a straightforward argument: "Consider the cost of finding alternative hardware and software solutions and the loss of flexibility that email provides." Email is a vast, open, decentralized platform fostering innovative projects. It stands as a unique ecosystem—an enclosed garden amidst pervasive networking and intrusive messaging services. Email is the cockroach of the World Wide Web—surviving and adapting against all odds.

Evolution of Email

Email is far from a static tool; its functionality has rapidly evolved beyond simple message exchange. Looking back, during the rise of commercial internet, email was everything to users.

• A newsfeed. Newsletters, alerts, direct marketing—email inboxes served as personal media hubs.
• A user’s digital identity. While identity verification now often happens via platforms like Facebook and other social networks, email remains a kind of passport or registration for users. Want to open a digital wallet? Enter your email! Make a purchase on Amazon? Enter your email! Post on a forum? Enter your email! Your email address also once indicated your professional standing—@mail.com was seen as less sophisticated than @gmail.com. Today, platforms like LinkedIn play a more significant role.
• The primary communication tool. Bulletin boards, chats, and forums have existed as long as email, but email uniquely forged personal connections. Nowadays, many ways exist to connect—friend requests on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Skype, and more. Mobile apps increasingly access phone contacts rather than email contacts, as seen with WhatsApp and Telegram.
• A file-sharing service. Before Dropbox and Google Drive became mainstream, email was the main method to exchange digital documents like PDFs, DOCs, and MP3s.
• A business instrument. Many companies rely heavily on email for internal communication and external partnerships. However, some organizations, like the IT giant Atos in 2011, have banned email correspondence among employees to boost efficiency.

These roles have sustained email’s vitality. However, its popularity also brought challenges such as spam and security risks. Since email often contains sensitive information—from finances to private conversations—the risk of fraud and overwhelming promotional messages is significant. While some email functions will fade—like competing with cloud storage or social media logins—email remains far from obsolete.

The Future of Email

Email will return to its original purpose: a platform for sending electronic letters.

This perspective is shared by Alexis Madrigal, a commentator for The Atlantic. Today, "email" encompasses too much—replacing phone calls, meetings, marketing messages, and more. Madrigal believes it's time to refocus on the true essence of email: delivering letters, invoices, flyers, newspapers, and magazines. Modern email services support this shift—Gmail's Priority Inbox sorts important messages automatically, and tools like Unroll.me help unsubscribe from unwanted newsletters. Gone are the days of drowning in endless emails; email is becoming smarter. Spam filters have made unwanted messages nearly invisible, while other parts of the internet face increasing clutter from ads and social media posts. Moreover, email access has become more user-friendly—consider the difference between MS Outlook’s traditional interface and Gmail’s modern web design. Mobile email usage is also seamless and enjoyable, unlike many mobile websites plagued by poor layouts and unreadable text.

Conclusion

Email, a stalwart of the early web, has embraced the best features of the Web 2.0 era. Modern email is fast, convenient, and equipped with intelligent algorithms that streamline incoming information. It renders beautifully on mobile devices—exactly what IT companies strive for. Most importantly, email’s open protocol makes it one of the most secure popular communication channels, especially when users take extra security measures. Madrigal notes that in the post-Snowden era, governments oppose anonymous communication channels, but email’s transparent and accessible operation remains a strength.

Email is a path toward a less commercialized, less centralized internet. Fortunately, this resilient "cockroach" of the World Wide Web already lives in all our digital homes. Alexis Madrigal

How do you feel about email in your daily life?

*Note: Meta Platforms Inc. and its associated social networks Facebook and Instagram are restricted in certain regions.

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