by Tony Jones

Created on: September 15, 2008

What is the difference between an ordinary letter and an e-mail? Well, they are two distinct forms of communication that are separated by technology. Perhaps Marshall McLuhan ((1911 - 1980) Canadian writer and theoretician) said it best when he said "the media is the message."

In his musings, "Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man" he focused on the problems of technology and how it relates to popular culture. In particular he examined how modern technology affects individuals and their relationships with other humans and their communities. His view was that humans, since the first tool making attempts, have always sought to extend themselves through technology. For better or for worse. For example, a microscope or telescope is a way of extending the range of the naked eye. Both instruments extend the range of sight but limit the scope. In effect, technology strips us of wide or stereoscopic sight which served us well during the early phases of evolution.

To help us determine the nature of a new technology McLuhan to applied a tetrad or four laws, framed as questions. Let's apply this logic to emails.

The first of these questions or laws is "What does it (the medium or technology) extend?" In the case email is an extension of communication that is limited to modern technology.

The second question is "What does it make obsolete?" Again, one might answer that the email makes letters, telexes, faxes and postcards obsolete.

The third question asks, "What is retrieved?" One might consider that it increases and enhances communication technology.

The fourth question asks, "What does the technology reverse into if it is over-extended?" Over-extended use of email technology could lead to a crash of the internet which could engender a return to snail mail.

In essence, emails seek to make ordinary letters obsolete by virtue of their immediacy and world wide accessibility. But from my personal perspective I prefer the intimacy and privacy of snail mail. I love the notion that someone took the time and effort to handwrite me a personal letter based on their feelings at the moment. I can almost hear their voices in every line. I can sense their attitudes by virtue of their choice of stationary.

I abhor the interruptions that emails pose as they sit in my in-box demanding to be read. I hate these intrustions and the presumptions that are made that the writers' time is more valuable than mine.

If I come across junk mail in my post box I can easily convert it kindling for a winter's fire, but you really can't get rid of spam mail.

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