Thursday, October 04, 2007

Huge Pileup on Superhighway!

The Internet is a wonderful thing. It's allowed us access to virtually unlimited information. It's given us an easy way to maintain contact with family and current friends. And it's provided plenty of stress-free opportunities to make new friends.

On the other hand (no pun intended), it's caused thousands--if not millions--of cases of carpal tunnel syndrome, eyestrain, and back problems, along with a whole host of other physical ailments.

And for some, it's become a time sink, a procrastination tool, and/or The World's Largest Pile of Paperwork.

There are six-hundred-fifty-plus messages in one of my e-mail accounts and four-hundred-plus in the other. And those are only the totals from the inboxes! It doesn't take into account anything archived in the outboxes, saved in the draft folders, pending review in the junk mail and bulk mail folders, or (gasp!) stored in sub-, sub-sub-, and sub-sub-sub-folders!

The good news is, all those messages are there because, instead of reading them, I'm busy doing the things I'm supposed to be doing.

The bad news is, even though all those messages that will need to be taken care of...someday... are "invisible" since they're packed tidily into my computer, they're starting to feel just as towering and intimidating as any humongous piles of "real" paperwork.

Please tell me I'm not the only one who's dealing with traffic jams on the Information Superhighway!


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

10 comments:

Roz Denny Fox said...

Barbara,
You are so right about the tech-tool that was supposed to free us up of literal paperwork so that we would have more time. Ha! It's addictive is what it is. So many blogs, so little time.
My problem is that I can't let them pile up, because I have OCD tendencies, too. Alas.
Good topic.
Roz

Anonymous said...

I don't let them pile up but then I have all day to do as much or as little as I want. Sometimes that is good, sometimes that is bad.

Barbara White Daille said...

Hi, Roz,

It's that addictive quality that gets me every time, too. I'm always sure if I drop even one of my loops or don't read just one of the eHarlequin lists or blogs I frequent, I'm going to miss the ONE piece of info I really, really need!

Barbara

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Barbara White Daille said...

Ellen,

Thanks for posting.

I hear you on the good/bad thing.

For me, I'd have trouble with having all day to do stuff. You know what they say--work expands to fit the time allowed for it. Or something like that! LOL

Barbara

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Estella said...

I am also afraid NOT to read one of my author emails, lest I miss the announcement of a new book or appearance in my area.

Barbara White Daille said...

Estella,

That's *another* big consideration, isn't it!

If only we had a few more hours in the day....

Barbara

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Anonymous said...

I am still enjoying having all day to do things. I've only been at it two years. For the 35 years before that I taught high school/junior high.

bettye griffin said...

A suggestion re all those in messages: Back them up if you want to save them. I just lost most of my e-mail contacts in a computer glitch.

Barbara White Daille said...

Ellen, congratulations on your retirement!

And, oh my gosh, you deserve a medal for your years in high school and jr high. I am currently working in a high school and see what teachers have to face on a daily basis.

And I was at a jr high all last year.... (((shudder)))

Barbara

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

Barbara White Daille said...

Bettye,

That's a wonderful idea about backing up e-mail. I tried that in the past but couldn't figure out how to do it.

If you have any suggestions, please feel free to e-mail me from my Web site. (The addy's below here.) I need all the help I can get! LOL

Barbara

http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com