I once was let go from a job because of something related to email. It's almost comical, although I didn't feel like that when it happened.
I was basically working independently on a teaching task. But there was one coworker who had been there for a long time and was working more in outreach. She told me to install four(!) different instant messaging apps -- which I didn't do because while her job involved a lot of communicating with third parties, mine didn't. Besides, she was not my boss (formally - although I think she thought she kinda was. In any event, she did have a lot of influence on my actual supervisor.)
She insisted that that's mandatory for me to which I countered that the whole professional world works on email just fine, as far as non-internal communication is concerned. She started screaming at me in my own office how I had betrayed her by agreeing to install the apps but then didn't do it. I didn't think I agreed because I found the idea ridiculous from the get go. Anyway - I stayed calm and said we should talk again when she was calmer, too.
I later found out that she then schemed behind my back to have me laid off. Which obviously worked.
I must have really rubbed her the wrong way. But in retrospect, I'm really happy to have moved on to better places since.
I've done that the past couple of years two handfuls of times. Mostly to people I discovered on HN, with a nice hardware or software project. Only once did I get a nasty reply (probably because I was too much in my enthusiasm), so I'll remember you, you Italian prick. ;)
Most replies are very nice. People really feel seen and appreciated when I compliment them on their cool project and nice write up.
Even if no one replies, I would still send the occasional email, because I want independent websites/blogs to thrive and stay.
I used to feel apprehensive about emailing people until one day I just decided to power through and do it. I agree with the post, it's like you unlock an additional layer of communications. Everyone is suddenly contactable! I would also say that most poeple are really nice 1-1, I cannot remember a nasty reply (worst that happened to me was just my email being left ignored).
I would add that I love emails when they are written as emails (i.e. at least one coherent paragraph).
Email, as a medium, prompts us to think (at least for a few seconds), not "generate human tokens". Sure, we may feel being "communicative" or "productive" while chatting or Slack, but (in my experience) it is not always the case.
I love the idea of emailing people with appreciation for things they've created.
I've considered doing this a few times, but have to admit I've never actually got round to sending people appreciative emails, maybe this blog post is the prompt I need.
There's a lot of makers on HN, has anyone here ever received emails about things they made?
I used to be fairly active on r/generative, someone once DM'd me to show me a pen-plot they'd made based off of something I'd made, and it made my whole week.
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I, too, have been emailing creators, randomly, to thank them for their work. Especially when I feature their work in my newsletter.
It feels somewhat hacked together (because, largely, it is); and there are significantly more bots than people using it (which is somewhat self-fulfilling).
But when I read the leaked/disclosed emails from founders during tech's boom in the late 00-s and early 10-s, I'm left feeling like: this is kinda nice.
You don't need to write long prose, email chains are reasonably self-contained, can include practically anyone and since nobody seems to have a total dominance on mail clients; they pretty much stick to the lowest common denominator. (though, HTML seems to be very much accepted behaviour for email clients, even though it was NOT when I grew up).
So, in the end, it's the safest medium to reach the most people, and incidentally it's also the most "comfy" in that I can optimise my own experience of email if I want to. Nobody cares if you use outlook/gmail/thunderbird/mutt or whatever. It's just email.
This is a pretty strong contrast to the modern web which pretty much requires Chrome or modern messengers which require/enforce their own first-party clients. Even if they happen to support federation (like Teams) which isn't a given.
> Nobody cares if you use outlook/gmail/thunderbird/mutt or whatever. It's just email.
Sadly my company decided the Gmail web interface was the only approved way to access email and blocked my email client (and all others). I probably check email once a month now to see if my invoice has been accepted, and ignore the hundreds of unread emails.
Agreed! Email is the Donald Trump of technologies! I've emailed, and gotten answers from, CEOs, investors, celebrities, open source geniuses and all kinds of people who in real life are surrounded by body guards and administrative staff do block contact.
It's amazing how big a reach a well crafted and intelligent email has.
I once was let go from a job because of something related to email. It's almost comical, although I didn't feel like that when it happened.
I was basically working independently on a teaching task. But there was one coworker who had been there for a long time and was working more in outreach. She told me to install four(!) different instant messaging apps -- which I didn't do because while her job involved a lot of communicating with third parties, mine didn't. Besides, she was not my boss (formally - although I think she thought she kinda was. In any event, she did have a lot of influence on my actual supervisor.)
She insisted that that's mandatory for me to which I countered that the whole professional world works on email just fine, as far as non-internal communication is concerned. She started screaming at me in my own office how I had betrayed her by agreeing to install the apps but then didn't do it. I didn't think I agreed because I found the idea ridiculous from the get go. Anyway - I stayed calm and said we should talk again when she was calmer, too.
I later found out that she then schemed behind my back to have me laid off. Which obviously worked.
I must have really rubbed her the wrong way. But in retrospect, I'm really happy to have moved on to better places since.
I want to say you dodged a bullet but subjectively it sounds more like a missile detonated in your face. Jeez!
I've done that the past couple of years two handfuls of times. Mostly to people I discovered on HN, with a nice hardware or software project. Only once did I get a nasty reply (probably because I was too much in my enthusiasm), so I'll remember you, you Italian prick. ;)
Most replies are very nice. People really feel seen and appreciated when I compliment them on their cool project and nice write up.
Even if no one replies, I would still send the occasional email, because I want independent websites/blogs to thrive and stay.
I used to feel apprehensive about emailing people until one day I just decided to power through and do it. I agree with the post, it's like you unlock an additional layer of communications. Everyone is suddenly contactable! I would also say that most poeple are really nice 1-1, I cannot remember a nasty reply (worst that happened to me was just my email being left ignored).
I emailed Ken Thompson and Noam Chomsky in the past, and they replied! It probably wouldn’t work any other way.
Emailing Richard Stallman is always an adventure
I once emailed Douglas Hofstadter with some of my own ideas after reading his book (GEB) and he actually responded with a long reply.
I would add that I love emails when they are written as emails (i.e. at least one coherent paragraph).
Email, as a medium, prompts us to think (at least for a few seconds), not "generate human tokens". Sure, we may feel being "communicative" or "productive" while chatting or Slack, but (in my experience) it is not always the case.
I love the idea of emailing people with appreciation for things they've created.
I've considered doing this a few times, but have to admit I've never actually got round to sending people appreciative emails, maybe this blog post is the prompt I need.
There's a lot of makers on HN, has anyone here ever received emails about things they made?
I used to be fairly active on r/generative, someone once DM'd me to show me a pen-plot they'd made based off of something I'd made, and it made my whole week.
I'm glad I'm not the only one! I, too, have been emailing creators, randomly, to thank them for their work. Especially when I feature their work in my newsletter.
Email as a technology is insanely crufty.
It feels somewhat hacked together (because, largely, it is); and there are significantly more bots than people using it (which is somewhat self-fulfilling).
But when I read the leaked/disclosed emails from founders during tech's boom in the late 00-s and early 10-s, I'm left feeling like: this is kinda nice.
You don't need to write long prose, email chains are reasonably self-contained, can include practically anyone and since nobody seems to have a total dominance on mail clients; they pretty much stick to the lowest common denominator. (though, HTML seems to be very much accepted behaviour for email clients, even though it was NOT when I grew up).
So, in the end, it's the safest medium to reach the most people, and incidentally it's also the most "comfy" in that I can optimise my own experience of email if I want to. Nobody cares if you use outlook/gmail/thunderbird/mutt or whatever. It's just email.
This is a pretty strong contrast to the modern web which pretty much requires Chrome or modern messengers which require/enforce their own first-party clients. Even if they happen to support federation (like Teams) which isn't a given.
> Nobody cares if you use outlook/gmail/thunderbird/mutt or whatever. It's just email.
Sadly my company decided the Gmail web interface was the only approved way to access email and blocked my email client (and all others). I probably check email once a month now to see if my invoice has been accepted, and ignore the hundreds of unread emails.
Agreed! Email is the Donald Trump of technologies! I've emailed, and gotten answers from, CEOs, investors, celebrities, open source geniuses and all kinds of people who in real life are surrounded by body guards and administrative staff do block contact.
It's amazing how big a reach a well crafted and intelligent email has.
I don't get the Donald Trump analogy
The best thing to come out of the internet!