What is email?

I have to ask this question. Is it a speaking platform? Is it a way to throw out jokes, commentary or concerns with no feedback? It was not supposed to be, in my opinion, although I think many people are mistaking their email for a blog. Or maybe they see it more as throwing darts. Not sure. To me, email was a replacement of written word. Correspondence. Yes, it did become a handy interoffice/ intraoffice communication device, but when did it become a one way channel of thought?

Are we really becoming a society that doesn't want communication back? When computers, and text messaging phones and bluetooth devices became the Must Haves, I wondered if we were going down that road. No more personal interaction. Just text. Really? It is so sad.

My email address does not say "Do Not Reply" and yet very few people respond to direct, open ended questions and replies.Even family!Why? If you send me an article that you feel strongly enough about to pass on to me, and I reply back with comments and questions, why is that the end of the dialogue? Was it really a dialogue at all? 

I think there is a world-wide case of P.E.E. Premature Email Ejaculation. Everyone is out there receiving email: jokes, tips, political items, interesting news and facts, etc and they are firing them off to others without caring what those others think. Maybe they don't want to know what they think. Do these people just want to be a delivery service?Are they on a soapbox or are they mindlessly throwing out fodder?

All I am saying is, don't be so fast with that DELETE button, people. If someone took the time to write back to you, why ignore it? You started it, right? And no, you are not too busy. If you are too busy, or you just don't care what that person thinks about your emails, take them off the CONTACTS list, please. Please!

Those of you who actually do respond back, THANK YOU! I (and everyone who has actually gotten a reply answered) appreciate the respect and care you offer by acknowledging us and our response. You are the ones who matter. Because you have manners, courtesy and an old fashioned sense of correspondence. Because you care what we think, and we are not just a dart board that you have fired your email at without afterthought. Right? Thank you for your responsible email habits. Long may they continue.