The trouble with communicating by email...

I was reading this very helpful post by "Marc and Angel hack life" titled 3 Communication tips for building stronger relationships.  Recently, It's less that I haven't had the time to keep up on social media whether via Facebook, Google+, or Twitter.  Part of the reason is the question of what content is the Right Content.  It brings me back to the Buddhist concept of the 8-fold path.  So many people are posting without thinking.  It's the equivalent of putting a megaphone to your lips and letting everyone passing by hear you grinding your teeth.  It's also very easy to just re-tweet or re-share content that friends have found interesting and that I too find interesting and feel the desire to share.  What we post says a lot about who we are, what we do, what we believe in.  My interests and beliefs are empty on my profile pages because if you're my friend, you already know what my interests and beliefs are.  If you're a stranger, well - it's not really your business unless you're reading my blog or planning to engage in communication with me.  

A disturbing video on circulation of how people are able to find your photos online and track down exactly where you live, etc... leaves me wondering if peadophiles tracked on to my very cute looking son's pictures which were leaked into search crawlers through an unticked box on Flickr that has since been fixed.  From whatever we post, how do we know who's watching? Who is knowing? Who is using this information and for what?  With all the information out there, if someone is watching isn't it the equivalent of those people who pull glass bottles from our recycling bins once they're on the corner?  If it's out there, it's accessible.  If I go to a garbage dump, who's to stop me from using your discards or accessing your private information from unshredded documents?

In this day and age, privacy is extremely rare.  We're attached to our cell phones and in constant communication with a plethora of people.  So let me get back to the title of my blog post, for I have digressed completely.  The trouble with communicating by email is that it is NOT talking face to face.  It's easier to put thoughts into words and to think over sentence structure.  One can hide emotions or emphasize the rational over the irrational.  But for all of this gain in ability to express yourself - it is up to the other person to respond.  They may or may not get the email.  They may get it, read it.. and lose it in their inbox.  They may mean to take it up with you in person - but by then the moment has passed.  In the meantime, after having written an expressive email, you are in limbo - awaiting a response.  

Once upon a time, people had severe rules and practices for interacting with each other.  An invitation would be answered right away with an RSVP.  A token would be accepted and gratiously given thank yous to follow.  It was considered distinctly rude not to respond.  

Today, with email being the one way communication that it is - these practices have ceased.  We are no longer talking to individuals.  We are no longer receptive.  We block out that which we can not delete and by so doing - protect our senses from that which we can not handle.  

I think it would be nice if there were solid rules in place for what constituted acceptable societal practices when it came to communication.  Then again, I'm decidedly old fashioned and conservative in my own expressions.