Is there anything more depressing than checking your email and theres nothing!! Hell i got onto the internet cos the real world was depressing me and now this to put me back in my place!!!
At least i know there aint gonna be any bills!

E-mail is an essential tool for business communications etc but in my experience, it tends only to be used greatly at a personal level when you first get an e-mail account and discover friends, especially long-lost ones, are also on e-mail.

A flurry of e-mails tend to be exchanged for a while under these circumstances. Being able to send people letters/messages without taking pen to paper or pay any postage almost has a novelty value maybe. You don't even have to bother going to the post box.

However, those who were not great letter writers before the introduction of e-mail will, sooner or later, not bother staying in touch by e-mail either. Writing an e-mail becomes just as much of a task as writing a pen and paper letter.

This is the case with myself and seemingly my friends also. We've all had our computers a while now and the novelty of sending e-mail has died away. The rare e-mails between us now just tend to be jokes, humorous pictures or family photos. Hardly any personal chat is exchanged like it used to be.

I've taken a step back in time and tend to phone people to stay in touch these days (hang the expense). Not quite so high-tech but I like it better.

I have always hated the telephone, and emails were made for me. However, I still tend to get these huge, one-off,all-the- year's-news letters, does any one else? People seem to save it all up and this time of year the post box is heaving with great fat envelopes full of it. Mine to them are always much thinner, I am afraid. What I like best is a nice funny ecard with a long message full of news on it.
Telephones are a definite no-no with me.

I have only just noticed these yearly reports arriving, mostly from across the Atlantic. I really don't like them, as most of them seem to be boastful, telling you how well and prosperous everyone in the family has become. It quite put me off one family I used to correspond with, especially as it started 'Dear Ones'.... and seemed to be a mass mailing.

I wonder if anyone has received a newsletter telling of disappointing children, losing your job, being in debt and generally having had a real loser's year! I bet not.....

I think I would rather have no emails than these.

I could do one of those, Bossyboots- how long have you got?

Nowhere near mine TW.

You wouldn't want to put money on that claim.