10/31/97 - Pestilence and E-mail.

     E-mail is getting to be more and more a thorn
     in my side with every passing day.  Not the
     volume of it, but the growing expectancy from
     people that I would respond faster.  A certain
     person has been deluging me with e-mails because
     he likes what I have to say.  Fine.  But now
     he's attributing my not responding quickly
     (which is because of sheer laziness and
     being exhausted) to my being mad at him for
     what he wrote in an e-mail, or in my disinterest,
     or in something else.  Another person, a
     woman, got irritated and rattled off an e-mail
     to me TWO FRIGGING DAYS after she sent the
     original.  Imagine reading an incoming e-mail
     which is titled, "umm, hello?"

     That's about the ONLY thing which turns me
     off completely to someone's e-mail.  Pushing
     me more than I'm responsible for.

     I don't owe people anything when they write
     me.  I have a couple years' worth of content
     available online.  Shit, even I don't know
     how I've managed to write this much without
     getting bored or boring.  If someone writes
     me, I owe them the generosity of response,
     but I've done my part.  I've expressed myself.
     It's the reader's turn.  I should NOT be
     pushed to respond quickly.

     Especially when my life is as busy as it is
     now.  School is much more a part of my life
     than it used to be, partly because my
     studious Anna has served as an excellent
     role model for me (thanks, sweetie).  I am
     managing many different projects and am
     about to add some contract design projects
     on top of that.  E-mail is the least of my
     priorities.

     But people are more pushy and more irate
     about e-mail now.  Like I'm here just for
     their time.  No.  I'll respond when I feel
     (and contrary to belief, I DO feel bad
     about taking so long to respond and I
     thank you people who understand and are
     patient and still want to talk to me even
     after such a long period) and I won't
     be pushed around by people I owe nothing to.

     A Hellish week of school has just been
     completed.  Ahh, midterms and papers done
     for awhile.  TIME TO SLEEP.  And maybe
     I'll leave Eudora closed, except to write
     to my dear, dear Anna.


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