Is email still useful?

I've been using email for the past nine years or so, and somehow, I'm starting to think that it's not as useful as we thought it was in the past. Oh, don't get me wrong, I still use it a lot in communicating with friends and colleagues, as well as for sending various documents, both personal and in the course of my work. The usefulness of email has even been negated somewhat by the proliferation of cellphones and text messaging. Why email when you can text or call? And you get the satisfaction of immediacy as well.

Despite this, I still would like to think that email definitely has its uses. But I had some doubts after examining in detail my Yahoo! inbox. I realized that the vast majority of email I receive (90-95%) are all of the junk mail variety. This consists of forwarded email messages, job offers, chain letters, promos, virus laden attachments, invitations to groups or messaging services, porn pictures, and all other kinds of spam. You get the picture. Your inbox is probably as cluttered as mine.

While I appreciate some forwarded messages, especially those with worthwhile information to share or perhaps some inspiring or humorous messages or stories, I simply abhor those chain letters which blackmail me into forwarding it to other contacts either by using God's love to make me feel guilty or by threatening me with bad luck. Sometimes, I'm ashamed to admit it, I actually give in and forward these messages. But most of the time I just delete them as fast as I can click on the delete button.

I'm a Catholic. I love and fear God. I'm not perfect, but I try hard to be a good Christian. Somehow I don't believe that God would take my refusal to forward a chain mail as evidence that I don't love him, and I simply disdain any form of electronic communication that claims otherwise. As for bad luck...nah. It's just an old wives tail, just like walking under a ladder or a black cat crossing your path. By the way I'm crossing my fingers as I'm typing this. :-)

Not only has email been taken over by these types of junk mail, I'm inclined to think that most of the email circulating in cyberspace is specifically of this variety. Just think of all the bandwidth, the processing power, the hard disk storage, and man-hours wasted by junk email on a global scale. Think of the resources that we can save if we all agree to delete junk email the moment we receive it.

Of course, that's not bound to happen. Not anytime soon, and probably not ever. Cyberspace is a no-man's land where freedom of expression reigns supreme. And junk email, as annoying as it may be, is just a form of that expression.

But that won't stop me from deleting any that I receive. Except for the ones with worthwhile information to share, or perhaps some inspiring or humorous messages or stories. Just don't ask me to forward them. :-)

So is email still useful? I suppose it still is. Only 5-10% of the time though.