Email gets old-fashioned

The Pew Internet & American Life Project recently reported that email is becoming old fashioned. Apparently 75% of online teenagers report a preference for instant messaging when communicating with friends. They tend to use e-mail to talk to institutions and "old people."

yikes.

implications... are profound... particularly given that IM is "instant" and only works if both people are logged in. We think cellphones and email are intrusive and demanding... but the IM star is just beginning to rise... and just wait 'till someone develops the next-gen VIM (video instant message)... or whatever... 'cause the kids using IM today are going to become "old people" someday too, and they'll marvel at the new breed of youngsters and wonder how they manage to use those new-fangled communication methods...

I'm back...

Lots of travel, leave, etc lately sort of bumped this blog to the back burner. I'm sure it'll happen again, but I'll try to avoid that if I can.

Actually, one big reason I haven't added new posts to this blog lately is that most of my "writing juice" is getting used up on articles for Defense AT&L, my 'zine Rogue Project Leader and my book, The Radical Elements Of Radical Success. Other recipients of my creative energy include my new online RogueWear t-shirt shop and two new books I'm working on.

There's something very energizing about creating stuff. I hope you'll all try it too, whether it's books or magazines via Lulu, t-shirts and coffee mugs via Spreadshirt or CafePress, or hardware via eMachineShop. The only thing you need to bring to the table is a cool idea - everything else is getting easier every day...