Comments on: What’s with the every-minute-email-checking? http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking Manu Cornet's blog Sun, 23 May 2010 15:47:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Lloyd Budd http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-37179 Lloyd Budd Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:39:02 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-37179 You are correct! What I do find useful in Gmail is notification of one someone also replied to a thread I am replying to. You are correct!

What I do find useful in Gmail is notification of one someone also replied to a thread I am replying to.

]]> By: Henk Poley http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-799 Henk Poley Mon, 21 Aug 2006 12:33:00 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-799 Some thoughts around this subject can be found by googling for "GTD" or "Getting Things Done". Its basic philosophy is to keep a list of everything you need to do or want to do. To manage the size of this list you ruthlessly remove items that aren't needed anymore, and split the remaining list in 'action' items and 'hold' items. Removed items that are needed for future reference end up in an 'archive'. This (simplified form of GTD) is easely applied to email by using 3 mailfolders: action, hold, archive. For different projects you can create individual archives. There's more to it, like 'the 2 minute rule', use of agenda and a future projects list. Look it up for yourself but steer clear of the hype surrounding it, and use only what works for you (e.g.: start simple). Some thoughts around this subject can be found by googling for “GTD” or “Getting Things Done”. Its basic philosophy is to keep a list of everything you need to do or want to do. To manage the size of this list you ruthlessly remove items that aren’t needed anymore, and split the remaining list in ‘action’ items and ‘hold’ items. Removed items that are needed for future reference end up in an ‘archive’.

This (simplified form of GTD) is easely applied to email by using 3 mailfolders: action, hold, archive. For different projects you can create individual archives.

There’s more to it, like ‘the 2 minute rule’, use of agenda and a future projects list. Look it up for yourself but steer clear of the hype surrounding it, and use only what works for you (e.g.: start simple).

]]> By: Stefano Canepa http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-541 Stefano Canepa Sat, 12 Aug 2006 15:57:41 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-541 I found that the best think to do when you need to pay close attention to somethink your doing is to: close email client, close irc client, close all messaging program, raise the handset, switch off the mobile phone (i.e. completelly isolete yuor self from external world) and listen to classical music. As I'm easly getting sidetracked the above is the only way I can manage to produce code and study thinks. I strugling with my self to reduce my innate multitasking, this simply lead me to dissatisfaction becouse I end up with too many thinks started and nothing completed. I found that the best think to do when you need to pay close attention to somethink your doing is to: close email client, close irc client, close all messaging program, raise the handset, switch off the mobile phone (i.e. completelly isolete yuor self from external world) and listen to classical music.
As I’m easly getting sidetracked the above is the only way I can manage to produce code and study thinks.
I strugling with my self to reduce my innate multitasking, this simply lead me to dissatisfaction becouse I end up with too many thinks started and nothing completed.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-525 Andrew Fri, 11 Aug 2006 09:43:10 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-525 My favourite is someone walking over to my desk and asking: "I've just sent you an email. Have you read it?". Of course I haven't! You have just sent it! I have stopped thinking of email as an instant form of communication. I check email at only certain times of the day. I am a sysadmin and my job is naturally interrupt driven. If I want to get any of my projects done I cannot afford to be interrupted more than I already am . I generally receive important email during certain times of the day and I arrange my time according to these times. You mileage may vary, but I use some intelligent filtering on the mail server to allow me to prioritise email into different mail directories or inboxes. I then can set my email client to check these inboxes at different times. Also separating private email and work email is essential! I have different accounts for each. My favourite is someone walking over to my desk and asking: “I’ve just sent you an email. Have you read it?”. Of course I haven’t! You have just sent it!

I have stopped thinking of email as an instant form of communication. I check email at only certain times of the day. I am a sysadmin and my job is naturally interrupt driven. If I want to get any of my projects done I cannot afford to be interrupted more than I already am .

I generally receive important email during certain times of the day and I arrange my time according to these times.

You mileage may vary, but I use some intelligent filtering on the mail server to allow me to prioritise email into different mail directories or inboxes. I then can set my email client to check these inboxes at different times. Also separating private email and work email is essential! I have different accounts for each.

]]> By: Janne http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-506 Janne Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:15:41 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-506 I have Evolution checking mail every ten minutes. However, I have it in its own workspace, and I have no notification of any kind about email. So, while it steadily dribbles in, I get absolutely no feedback about it - I have to actually break off what I'm doing and jump to the mail workspace if I want to know about it. But if I'm in the middle of something I'm of course too preoccupied to actually do so; instead my mail will naturally wait until I hit a lull in my workflow and I remember checking it. So by removing any feedback I'll get to the email when it disrupts me the least to do so. The same goes for my webmail (gmail), by the way - with no feedback, I don't go to the gmail site unless I need a breather in any case. I have Evolution checking mail every ten minutes.

However, I have it in its own workspace, and I have no notification of any kind about email. So, while it steadily dribbles in, I get absolutely no feedback about it – I have to actually break off what I’m doing and jump to the mail workspace if I want to know about it.

But if I’m in the middle of something I’m of course too preoccupied to actually do so; instead my mail will naturally wait until I hit a lull in my workflow and I remember checking it. So by removing any feedback I’ll get to the email when it disrupts me the least to do so. The same goes for my webmail (gmail), by the way – with no feedback, I don’t go to the gmail site unless I need a breather in any case.

]]> By: Rafael Jannone http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-505 Rafael Jannone Thu, 10 Aug 2006 14:01:46 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-505 *Some* emails are important and require immediate reading/answering, others don't. I think email software should allow for this kind of setup... I want to be notified with blinking icons only when my boss or supervisor sends me a message, not when I receive an email from a mailing list. *Some* emails are important and require immediate reading/answering, others don’t.

I think email software should allow for this kind of setup… I want to be notified with blinking icons only when my boss or supervisor sends me a message, not when I receive an email from a mailing list.

]]> By: Erich http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-502 Erich Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:12:10 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-502 I have an icon in my toolbar which polls my mail. No automatic checking. So when I'm working I won't have any popup; when I'm about to be done I click the icon and then save my work; by the time I've saved my offlineimap run is done with syncing my email. I have an icon in my toolbar which polls my mail. No automatic checking.
So when I’m working I won’t have any popup; when I’m about to be done I click the icon and then save my work; by the time I’ve saved my offlineimap run is done with syncing my email.

]]> By: Colin http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-501 Colin Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:09:24 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-501 Whenever I need a lot of concentration, I quit the mail client. If not, my notification is not very intrusive and has three states: new mail, unread mail, no unread mail. It doesn't blink :-) Also, I'm using a plugin to light the mail LED on my laptop on when there's new mail. I don't see it when concentrated, but can check my mail from across the room at home ;-) Whenever I need a lot of concentration, I quit the mail client. If not, my notification is not very intrusive and has three states: new mail, unread mail, no unread mail. It doesn’t blink :-)

Also, I’m using a plugin to light the mail LED on my laptop on when there’s new mail. I don’t see it when concentrated, but can check my mail from across the room at home ;-)

]]> By: tm http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-500 tm Thu, 10 Aug 2006 12:00:27 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-500 right you are. here is also another one text on the theme: http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4438.html (Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload) right you are. here is also another one text on the theme:
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4438.html (Tips for Mastering E-mail Overload)

]]> By: Calum http://www.manucornet.net/blog/whats-with-the-every-minute-email-checking/comment-page-1/#comment-499 Calum Thu, 10 Aug 2006 11:36:12 +0000 http://www.manucornet.net/blog/dreamerant/?p=41#comment-499 You're quite right; most time management books/courses recommend turning off automatic email checking in your mail client, and setting aside a couple of hours every day for dealing with emails. You’re quite right; most time management books/courses recommend turning off automatic email checking in your mail client, and setting aside a couple of hours every day for dealing with emails.

]]>