From 9b0862213468e3f35e083c65f391e2892f22fc98 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Lars Wirzenius Date: Sun, 17 Jul 2011 15:04:43 +0100 Subject: Add a couple of sample starts of chapters (for testing book script). --- inboxes.mdwn | 59 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 59 insertions(+) create mode 100644 inboxes.mdwn (limited to 'inboxes.mdwn') diff --git a/inboxes.mdwn b/inboxes.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1998c80 --- /dev/null +++ b/inboxes.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,59 @@ +Inputs and inboxes +================== + +Consider how you deal with e-mail. All your e-mail arrives, +automatically, unbidden, unwanted, unloved, in one or more inboxes. +You might have one inbox for work, and another for personal use. +Further, you might have automatic filters that move some incoming +e-mail into other folders: software developers are often on many +discussion mailing lists, each of which goes into its own folder. +Each such folder would be a separate inbox. + +A common anti-pattern for people is to keep e-mail in their inboxes. +They read it, and leave it there. The next time they read e-mail, there +might more some new mail, which they read, and leave there. Eventually, +the mail piles up a lot, and it gets hard to find a specific mail you +may need. Even more importantly, it gets hard to know which mails still +require you to do something. Perhaps there was a mail from your boss +you need to re-read? Or a mail from your mother that you need to reply +to? Or perhaps you replied to her already? Can't remember if you did? + +Treating an e-mail folder both as an inbox and an archive of old mail, +and mixing it futher up as a list of things to do, leads to confusion, +angst, and stress. + +Let's make a small change to e-mail handling. Let's keep only +unprocessed e-mail in the inboxes, and do one of the following things +for every e-mail in each inbox, after reading it: + +* delete it, if it is unlikely to be of further use; for example, spam, + or stupid jokes from friends +* reply to it immediately, if you can, and it will only take a minute or two; + for example, your mother asks if you'll be visiting next weekend, and you've + already made plans with your partner to go on holiday, so you can reply + at once saying sorry, not this weekend +* move it to a "need replying" folder, if the mail requires a reply, but + you don't have time to do that right now +* forward it to someone else, perhaps with a cover letter, if it's their job, + not yours, to deal with it; for example, it might be a question only your + boss can answer +* move it to an archival folder, if you think you might need it later on + +(Compare the above list with "do, defer, delegate, delete, or file" from +the [[quickie-overview]] chapter.) + +When you have time, you look into the "need replying" folder, and reply +to one or more mails in there. After you've replied, you delete or archive +the original mail. + +With this change, you have a better handle on your e-mail. You know that +anything in the inbox is unknown and needs to be processed, and anything +in the "need replying" folder needs some action, and that anything you +might need later is in the archival folder. No other mails require any +action, and any mails that do require action are easy to find. + +This will make you be much more relaxed about your e-mail. You never need +to worry whether you've replied to everything that needs replying. A further +benefit, also of great benefit, is that you're likely to reply to mail +much faster than before. + -- cgit v1.2.1