Last month, online news sites reported on a strange phenomenon happening at technology firms around the company, like Intel and U.S. Cellular: Email Free Fridays. This revolutionary idea is a direct response to the increasing reliance on email as the only form of communication within a business at the expense of face-to-face and phone conversations.

I know the way that I personally process information, and though I’ll remember 95% of what I read or see, I remember about 5% of what I hear (just ask my mother). So, in the field in which I work (web stuff), I strongly prefer receiving emails or instant messages to talking on the phone. It provides a written record for what change or feature was requested that I can refer to later on. However, there are some cases, particularly when designing or sketching out a major project, where a face-to-face meeting is the best possible option.

Can you see this trend growing? What would it take for you - as a student or as employee - to unplug from email for one eight-hour workday?

Related Links

Fridays Go From Casual to E-mail Free

Overwhelmed by Email?

~Kara Kane