Re: Communications by email
From: Cheryl A. Charis-Graves (ccharisjeffco.k12.co.us)
Date: Thu, 20 Mar 2003 11:08:01 -0700 (MST)
I appreciate Sharon's broad overview on email. We have created a group
listserv for general information and discussion, which allows us to post
reminders of calendar events such as meetings, common meals, special events,
birthday announcements, etc.

In our community, there seem to be two general considerations.
1. not everyone is on email, so we generally have a practice of posting
messages on both email and the bulletin board
2. not everyone is comfortable with time spent on the computer, email
software, etc.

As with any form of communication, it seems important not to make
assumptions. I use email often and it allows me to stay connnected even
during those times when I am working from dawn to late night and not seeing
anyone in person. I am on several listservs and I am comfortable with
zipping through numerous messages, assessing my desire to read or not read,
and I am extremely free with my delete button. I have also trained myself to
use all available shortcuts to make my time on the computer as efficient as
possible. Email is vital to me as a communication tool. And I am a bit phone
phobic, especially at home. I do so much difficult phone work at work that I
have a visceral reaction to the phone ringing or messages beeping at me when
I walk in the door.

For some people in our community, volume of messages is a problem. They feel
frustrated by their computer and all its little quirks, so they want to
reduce time spent there by any means possible. They would rather spend time
asking the same question of five different people and receive five different
answers and ultimately spend 50 minutes in a general meeting reporting that
fact and getting a possible final answer which others will then confuse and
report in a different way to people who are not at the meeting!!!

I'm joking, mostly, though I believe that it's mostly a matter of
perception.

I find that I have to explain how/why I see email as an invaluable tool
which allows me to stay connected to the community even when I am not
physically "present." And I need to also listen when people tell me they
type too slowly to make it all worthwhile and are afraid their computer will
break if they do something the wrong way. I say, buy a Mac!!

The other factor that seems to play in is that I am a writer. I enjoy the
written word. And I type fast.

If we share perceptions and needs, yours and mine, it seems to work out
okay.

Cheryl
Harmony Village
Golden CO






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