Monday 7/26

Delete

I’ve noticed a very direct relationship between the length of time you have an email account and the amount of junk you receive.  The longer you have it, the more junk you get.  If you have a new email, it’s time to grab a mojito and sit out on the porch because you don’t have to waste that time cleaning out your email.  (Consider yourself lucky (or smart) if you don’t have this problem.) 

Granted, gmail tends to filter out most of the spam, but I still have to go through and delete the rest.  The problem is, it doesn’t really get … well … deleted.  It goes to a magic place: a folder called “Trash”.  Then, just like in real life, you have to empty the trash.  I laugh every time I see this button:

Delete Forever?  What’s the point?  Why not just delete it in the first place?

I suppose the “trash” system was designed to “dummy-proof” email.  Too many users were accidentally hitting delete on important emails, which inevitably led to uncontrollable wallowing in self pity and self-denial.  Terrible things happen when emails accidentally get deleted.  Jobs are lost…  Wars are started…  Justin Beiber becomes a superstar…  (At least, that’s how I understand it.) 

But what does that say about us, that the simple functions in our lives like email have to be dummy-proofed?  Are we all dummies?  I’d like to think not. 

(On the other hand, you can still buy Velcro shoes.)

By: S. Cole Garrett