Very similar, but very different

Email and Direct Messages (DM) are very similar. With both we can instantly send an electronic message to someone else.

Yet, I find sending an email so much harder than sending a direct message.

• With email, I have to think about the subject header.
• I have to politely address the recipient with their name
• I have to think about what I want to say, then articulate it clearly and make sure there are no typos in my text.
• I have to end my message with a sincere greeting
• And I have to remember to insert my email signature

With direct messages (like chat in Teams, WhatsApp, Slack, Twitter DM etc) I don’t have all these hurdles. Basically it’s just one step:

• Type what I want to say and press Enter.

The difference between email and DM is like the difference between sending someone a letter versus seeing someone and just start talking to them. You start the conversation and see where it goes. Even if the other person isn’t online or busy, I like DM. Sending the message gets it off my plate and I’ll patiently await their reply. What I also like about DM is that the entire conversation is in view. Just scroll up to see the history.

But perhaps the biggest reason I like chat: it’s not email. Because email has become an impossible medium. An inbox overflowing with messages, half of which are calendar invitations (at work, that is). It’s become such a drag to discern the signal from the noise.

To me the difference between email and DM comes down to this: Email is about messages. DM is about your relationship with the other person(s). I get too many messages, but I wouldn’t say I have too many relationships.