Email’s About to Die, Argues Facebook Co-Founder

http://www.wired.com/business/2014/01/next-big-thing-missed-facebook-co-founder-says-email

by trey_swann • 13 years ago

8 8 13 years ago

plg• 13 years ago

"he took it upon himself to create a new kind of communications system for Facebook that could relieve some of the pain, bringing project management and communication into a single application"

There are tons of these things floating around, e.g. Basecamp from 37Signals

The thing about email though is that it's (a) free, (b) distributed not centralized (unless you choose to use a centralized service like gmail), and (c) the mental model is totally accessible to all including my grandma.

I don't see email going away.

On the other hand I do see Facebook going away.

zing!

chany23• 13 years ago

Hahaha; if you read the comments in the article, they were vicious. The subject line was just shock value - granted Asana is a good application that many use.

I just don't think they should go up against Email. Historically Email have won many times (there are few exceptions like company impose Yammer)

reachue• 13 years ago

I think e-mail is here to stay for awhile longer.

chany23• 13 years ago

"[There is no problem with Email itself.] The real problems we face are ones of organization, discovery, workflow, meaningful semantics, and overwhelmingly managing information overload." - someone's comment on Hackernews about Email's Problem

================================

Deep analysis of Email:

- Email is our medium of communication. Yes, for personal, we have social apps. For professional, we have LinkedIn messages - which is actually directed back to email. For internal small companies, there are Asana, and Basecamp. For larger groups, there is Yammer.

However Emails still cuts through all of those and everything in between because its just agnostic. Also it enables external communication as oppose to those internal structures.

- Email is also associated with behavior. Implanted to us since the internet. (Actually before the internet.) It is built into our mobiles, our laptops. Tough to tell someone to not use it.

================================

Possible Solutions:

- Behavioral: Slow transition is required. Little by little.

Examples:

1) Require where the group is going. I tell you to give up email, and use Asana tomorrow. Sounds great but you probably wouldn't (or not yet). If I give you 3 months, tell you that all people you know will slowly be using Yammer and you will get less and less emails. Then you would say yes. Big change but require time and group use.

2) Think about Boomerang, a small plugin, a small behavior change that helps - people started to incorporate it into their email use. Little behavioral change, big gain.

3) Think about Rapportive, highlight recipient info, small change, now many people use it. Little to no behavioral change.

4) However, Ping or Hop, making email into Instant Messages. Possible in the future, but not right now because it is a big jump in the way we view Email. Almost 'eliminating' how we write email. Big behavioral change.

================================

- Interface change (small incremental UI and UX) on the recipient's side.

Examples:

1) Mailbox, is literally email but with added features to enhance use. Snooze, and swipe.

2) Gmail vs. Outlook. Both emails, better ease-of-use features.

================================

- Reduction of Unnecessary Emails (FYI Emails)

Examples:

1) Gmail's filter tabs.

2) Apps like PeeqPeeq takes out your shopping newsletter, and puts it into their app.

3) Startups like Square, Stripe, Buffer, and Khan Academy are now using blackhole-mailing-list. CC everything FYI in. Access it when you have time.

4) Sharemoto.io [www.sharemoto.io] (shameless plug) is Sharepoint / Dropbox for Emails. Personal use, hashtags for archiving email and email threads regardless of subject line. Team use, hashtags become semantic topics and users can be invited or follow these FYI topics. Ultimately, reduce CC emails and view no action-required content at their own time.

krapp2• 13 years ago

TL;DR - Ex-Facebook exec creates a startup to replace email, insists email is dead and we should all pay him to drag away the corpse. Email refuses to die.

dancounsell• 13 years ago

This startup will fail. While I hate how antiquated email is, at least it's fairly decentralised.

krapp2• 13 years ago

Its simplicity accounts for its robustness. In a hundred years I can still see something very much like like email working precisely because it is simple.

chany23• 13 years ago

What do you mean fail? Asana is doing very well. Does it boast replacing email... probably not. But still a very recommendable application for small teams.

Email’s About to Die, Argues Facebook Co-Founder

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