Email Etiquette

I have had an email address since Grade 6.  To this day, I'm still not sure about the exact format that an email should be in, how it should be worded, how formal or laid back it should be based on the recipient, etc.  I feel as though I should have this all figured out by now, but at the same time, I've come to realize that no one ever taught me how to write an email.  It's funny to think that, in elementary school, we spend so much time learning our printing and our spelling, and eventually letter-writing.  And we practice many different forms!  But when it comes to email, once we know how to type, we seem to be let loose to discover the wild world of Internet mail on our own.

Email has a lot of conveniences, and I'm sure that's why it's become so popular today.  It is instant, free to send (provided you have an Internet connection), and easy to respond to.  One of the best things about email for me is that I can read a message, think about it, and then choose to respond when I have time, or have been able to think of an appropriate reply.  In fact, I get my emails on my phone, so that if something is really "pressing" I can respond to it right away.  Yet, it used to be that we could go hours, even days without receiving mail or a phone call.  It's difficult to imagine a world without the types of communication we have come to rely on.

As casual as it is sometimes, I can appreciate the widespread reaches of email, and the trouble it saves us.  And even though I feel under a little bit of pressure every time I send an email, trying to make sure that everything sounds right, from the greeting to my signature, I don't think I can imagine my life without it.

Canada's Digital Divide

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/canadas-digital-divide/article1521631/

This article, written for the Globe and Mail, gives light to a very interesting, and in some way frightening, topic.  Technology is constantly changing and adapting, with one product becoming obsolete within months of its release, because someone has made it better, faster, and smaller.  It seems like now that people have had a taste of technology, they are constantly searching for ways to improve it.  They are hungry for the newest, coolest, sleekest gadget around, despite knowing that it will only be a matter of time before the next version comes out.  Something that often gets lost in this frantic technology fervour is the fact that not everyone is as fortunate as we are.

The fact of the matter is, many Canadians are still struggling with technology.  Those who do not have enough money can't possibly afford every technology luxury that's released.  Rural areas, like this article mentions, are in a constant state of flux when it comes to getting cell phone reception or Internet service.  And, nowadays, when it is expected that everyone have access to these things, it can be difficult to conduct business, or even just lead a "normal" lifestyle without.

I think about my day to day life, and I cannot think of the last day I've lived without any form of technology as we now know it.  The last camping trip I took involved a GPS shouting directions at me over music playing through my iPod.  My cell phone was with me, just in case something happened, and so I could text my family when I made it to my destination, safe and sound.  The last flight I took, I used my cell phone to display a barcode to check in for my flight.  The days that my cell phone dies because I've forgotten to charge it are devastating, and are quickly remedied by a trip home to get a silly black cable.  I can't believe our dependence on technology.  While I can certainly see how it has impacted our lives for the better, I can't help but find myself feeling that we don't have to work for much anymore.  Everything is right at our fingertips, which is potentially very powerful, but also very dangerous.

Not to sound like a socialist, but I do believe that all individuals in Canada should be considered equal, and that includes having equal access to all of the amenities that the average person enjoys.  Making services like Internet, or even just telephone, reception available all across Canada would lessen the digital divide in our country, and give individuals the opportunity at least, to take part in this digital age.