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Here's one difference: Chat is interactive and email is time-shifted. Users may use them other ways, but those are the fundamental designs. In fact, I think ma

Here's one difference: Chat is interactive and email is time-shifted. Users may use them other ways, but those are the fundamental designs. In fact, I think many problems people have with email boil down to response times. If there was a way to senders could designate how soon they need a response, recipients would be face fewer interuptions and deal with email in batches when it fits their schedule. Email has the priority field, but so few use it that you can't rely on recipients being aware of it and there are no social conventions about its meaning.

kybernetikos 11y ago
I don't think there's really anything fundamental about them that means that chat has to be interactive and email has to be time shifted, I know many people who deal with chat messages in batches much later than they're sent, and people who will respond to email within seconds. I think that's a ux choice, just like encouraging long vs short messages. I do like your idea of designating a response time, but it probably requires too much from the sender. It might be that you could train rules on the client that could do a good job of working out how quickly things should be responded to so your client could batch appropriately.
6d0debc071 11y ago
I only do email at 09:00 and 15:00 at the moment, I've never had anything bad come of it. Honestly, if something is time-sensitive high-impact, sending an email in a fire and forget manner is close to a firing offence. That's just not an acceptable way to communicate urgency.
- hackuser 11y ago
  On one hand I agree. On the other hand, I've had clients who did not agree: Guess who would have been fired!
- freehunter 11y ago
  That works for some professions/working environments. I did that when I was working in an office and my entire team was in one 2x6 cubicle row. Email becomes much less important. Chat was nearly nonexistent. Now as a consultant working from home, chat is my lifeline (sometimes we even use IM while we're on the phone with each other to exclude some phone participants from a side conversation) but email is everything. I have clients who aren't on my company's chat system and can't call me because I'm on the phone all day. Chances are if they call I can't pick up. Then there are the client's vendors who will not call me for any circumstance, because that's not their place. They're not paying me, and I hold no control over their wrk. But we'll email back and forth. Our email system has no "urgent" flag, it's up to you to read them all as they come in and prioritize properly. If you're lucky, you'll have a PM who will spot an urgent email before you do and ping you on chat if you're a few minutes late.
collyw 11y ago
Not really. I sometimes send chat messages when the users are offline knowing they will be read later. Likewise I have email chats where we respond more or less instantly (when my friend doesn't have a chat client). Its a bit clunkier to use, but works.
drumdance 11y ago
Eh, chat can be time shifted as well. My team regularly posts chat messages to Flowdock even when I'm not online (and I do the same). It doesn't get overloaded because the # of users are limited to a small team.

kybernetikos 11y ago

I don't think there's really anything fundamental about them that means that chat has to be interactive and email has to be time shifted, I know many people who deal with chat messages in batches much later than they're sent, and people who will respond to email within seconds. I think that's a ux choice, just like encouraging long vs short messages. I do like your idea of designating a response time, but it probably requires too much from the sender. It might be that you could train rules on the client that could do a good job of working out how quickly things should be responded to so your client could batch appropriately.

6d0debc071 11y ago

I only do email at 09:00 and 15:00 at the moment, I've never had anything bad come of it. Honestly, if something is time-sensitive high-impact, sending an email in a fire and forget manner is close to a firing offence. That's just not an acceptable way to communicate urgency.

hackuser 11y ago
On one hand I agree. On the other hand, I've had clients who did not agree: Guess who would have been fired!
freehunter 11y ago
That works for some professions/working environments. I did that when I was working in an office and my entire team was in one 2x6 cubicle row. Email becomes much less important. Chat was nearly nonexistent. Now as a consultant working from home, chat is my lifeline (sometimes we even use IM while we're on the phone with each other to exclude some phone participants from a side conversation) but email is everything. I have clients who aren't on my company's chat system and can't call me because I'm on the phone all day. Chances are if they call I can't pick up. Then there are the client's vendors who will not call me for any circumstance, because that's not their place. They're not paying me, and I hold no control over their wrk. But we'll email back and forth. Our email system has no "urgent" flag, it's up to you to read them all as they come in and prioritize properly. If you're lucky, you'll have a PM who will spot an urgent email before you do and ping you on chat if you're a few minutes late.

collyw 11y ago

Not really. I sometimes send chat messages when the users are offline knowing they will be read later. Likewise I have email chats where we respond more or less instantly (when my friend doesn't have a chat client). Its a bit clunkier to use, but works.

drumdance 11y ago

Eh, chat can be time shifted as well. My team regularly posts chat messages to Flowdock even when I'm not online (and I do the same). It doesn't get overloaded because the # of users are limited to a small team.