Email vs. Social Networking

Is Email Slowly Becoming Extinct?

With social networks such as twitter and facebook on the rise, it is evident that email is no longer virtually the most effective means of communication. With junk mail and cluttered inboxes, using email as a main virtual means of communication is not very popular as it once was.

It has been said that email is slowly on the way out and many people now agree that the direct mail function of twitter and facebook is a far better mode of communication and is more effective, and it is more likely that people will respond to a direct message on twitter than to every email received.

Let’s take a look on the advantages of both methods of communication:

Advantages of Social Networking

• Much faster and easier to update link and promote information or any sort both on wireless systems.
• With one click your feed generated is communicated through all contacts, and social feed updates can be linked to display on relating blog sites for easy access.
• You have the option of distributing to thousands of people through Twitter’s main website.
• Reaches more people via mobile phone, even if they’re on vacation.
• A history of your updates is stored conveniently on your profile.
• The subscriber list is stored and managed for you on your account.
• Very interactive, extensible messaging platform with open APIs.
• Many other compatible applications being developed such as (Twitterific, Summize, Twhirl, etc.).

Advantages of E-mail

• E-mail is practically universal.
• Lets you integrate HTML links in the format you want, and even images into your “newsletter”.
• Far more formatting options are available.
• It allows for a more “personalized” communication with customers or friends.

While both Social Networks and Emails certainly have very important place in private life and in business, the question remains does Social networks have enough flexibility or scope to replace email. On the Internet, people tend to scan things very quickly, never remaining on one page for more then 20 or 30 seconds unless something really catches their interest. Therefore, the only way to get your message quickly across is with a short and simple one-line message notifying them that there’s something new that they may be interested in, such as a new blog entry, product, or event. Social Networking accomplishes this perfectly, by being short precise and eye catching with the use of the different applications available to each site, such as a bubble tweet!

With the comparisons made above it is evident that both Social networks and Email have their separate specific and important place in the world of info-share. Email is still far more for detailed sharing while networks such as twitter and facebook are the tools of choice to bring attention or alert breaking news, a more instant interest. Taking everything into consideration, I personally think it’s safe to say that neither will be replacing the other any time soon.

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