The Email Problem

I wasn't born with the technology my children use every day.  But living in Silicon Valley, I learned to use email back at the dawn of time.  I picked an email address for myself and kept it.  Still the one I use today.

I check my email 3-4 times a day.  Sometimes from my phone, sometimes from my Kindle.  I have a work email that I check at least once a day (my job isn't very urgent).

I guess not everyone is like me.

Over the years, I've used a great site called Evite.com to send invitations to our annual cookie party.  When the kids were little, I sent invitations to their parents, who sent replies.  I knew exactly who was coming, who had seen the invitation and hadn't replied, and those who couldn't come could send a note to me.  It's one of my favorite tools when planning a party.

This year I used Evite again.  But the kids are teenagers.  I had a lot of their email addresses, my kids got the rest, and I sent quite a few copies of the invitation to their parents - just to be sure they got them.

Over a third of these families never opened the email over the course of over two weeks.  I'm just amazed.  My three tell me that email is old-fashioned and kids don't use it any more.  Are you kidding me?  I must be an old idiot because I don't see how you can survive without email.

What makes me sad is how many adults on my list didn't open the invitation either.  People keep changing their email.  Why?  How am I supposed to find their new email address?  I've lost them.

So yes, next year the invitations go out in the mail.  On paper.  Guess what?  Evite is offering real paper invitations as an option now.  Live and learn I guess.

Now go check your email.  And tell all your friends when you change your address.