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OP here -- it seems there's a large consensus here who believe that many people today don't read email and don't like feeling forced to respond. If that's the case, then let me ask a new question.
If you're in a position where you are the primary organizer of a group, and the only way the group can be effective is to get a decent attendance, how do you go about finding out who in your group wishes to continue being involved? If only a small percent will respond to emails, and if nobody wants to commit too far in advance, how can you possibly plan anything? I swear, years ago it was not this complicated.
I don't get it either. I just had this with a group I volunteer with. I was sent an email by this woman asking if I could run an upcoming meeting. I emailed back that day saying that I was ill(I was) and couldn't do it.
No response back, like "OK" or "thanks, feel better" nothing. This isn't the first time with her and when I see her again in person I'm going to say something to her about it. It's take two seconds to just say "OK" and hit send.
It's a lack of basic manners these days.
I also notice it in business. The person who does my taxes didn't respond to an email last year letting them know I had received another 1099 I wasn't expecting from the company I have investments with. I wanted to make sure they knew it was coming....no response. Again, how hard it is to just acknowledge the message?
OP here -- it seems there's a large consensus here who believe that many people today don't read email and don't like feeling forced to respond. If that's the case, then let me ask a new question.
If you're in a position where you are the primary organizer of a group, and the only way the group can be effective is to get a decent attendance, how do you go about finding out who in your group wishes to continue being involved? If only a small percent will respond to emails, and if nobody wants to commit too far in advance, how can you possibly plan anything? I swear, years ago it was not this complicated.
It's not that they don't read the emails. They don't feel the need to respond back.
In your example I'm sure he saw them, if he had any manners or class he would have taken a few seconds and just said "can no longer make any of your events at the current time"(gee that took 5 seconds). He never thought "gee Michael takes a lot to time to plan these events, probably needs a head count, I should let him know I can no longer attend", you see that would be thoughtful.
The example I gave I was sent an email requesting something, I responded the same day. I never heard back, I like a confirmation just to know they got it. This is not the first time with this person over something that is time critical and really needs to be answered with everyone on the same page, and I do intend to say something to them in person.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Three Wolves In Snow
There you go. That really is the answer.
Yes it is, a lack of manners.
Many people today don't value other people's time. If they want or need something from you, you better be ready to answer ASAP. But if you need something or you're waiting back for a response it doesn't matter.
I believe in living like the saying "treat people the way you would like to be treated".
One of the things I find frustrating is that even when people do respond to an email, they frequently only answer the first question you've asked. This happens to me at every level of people I deal with, even close family. I don't know whether it's attention span or negligence, or what. I've sometimes resorted to putting subject lines in such as "Three small questions about the xyz project" and still only the first question gets answered. I've used one small paragraph, I've use numbering points, bulletin marks.. everything. lol.
I just experienced this too. I sent "person-in-charge" a very short, concise, email about two very important issues that affect me and quite a few other people. The end of the email had two questions, one sentence each. Person in charge responded with a thank you for bringing this to her attention and a statement that she'd look into the situation. The situation that was outlined in the second question. It's as if the first question did not exist. And a different email interaction with her in 2013 had similar results. At that time I eventually went around her and got that issue resolved. We're trying to figure a workaround for this issue because something has got to be done. Thank goodness for the paper trail email provides; we might need it.
And what's with the handymen and contractors who come out, look, email an estimate, then never contact you again even after you give them the green light? Seems like a strange way to run a business. Of course I soon learned that their lack of response probably means they think the job's too $mall. If that's the case don't they have a generic email they can send saying thanks but no thanks? But maybe the new etiquette is simply "don't bother".
E-mail is pretty worthless considering how much SPAM fills my inbox daily. When you have to sift through 50 garbage e-mails to grab that one that might be of value it can be frustrating. Maybe yours got lost in the mix, who knows.
Agreed. It seems like checking your e-mail means sifting through and deleting 90%, because that 90% is spam. It eats up your time.
Noticed a similar problem with texting, when I started to receive spam on my cell phone.
Last edited by Tim Randal Walker; 03-03-2016 at 11:31 AM..
Spam is easily managed in most email programs. I use gmail and it has built-in spam filters but even on top of that, all you have to do is hit the 'spam' button and that will keep that sender from contacting you again. And there are easy filters to be used in addition, so you're only seeing relevant and important emails. All other emails for social or promotions are put in a separate bucket.
The communication tools have gotten more sophisticated but what isn't valued so much anymore is simple polite manners. No tool will ever be developed that can make a human care about communicating or communicating back. I find the only thing to do is simply stop trying to communicate with people who won't answer a question or won't RSVP or who run a business but won't respond back. I'm not going to spend my precious time chasing after people. I do enough of that at work, I'm sure as hell not going to do it in my life outside of work.
Agreed. It seems like checking your e-mail means sifting through and deleting 90%, because that 90% is spam. It eats up your time.
Noticed a similar problem with texting, when I started to receive spam on my cell phone.
Not really. I have a spam filter as do most email systems. If I get something that is spam you move it over to the spam file and you don't see it again in your inbox.
You also get junk mail in your mailbox in addition to real mail, do you just throw all the mail out. Gee, it takes a few seconds to sort it.
Besides that is not the topic, it is about people you actually know not responding back.
Attention span for sure. Two things people are lacking in modern society are an attention span and patience.
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