Notification overload at 7 o'clock in the morning
Last Update: June 14, 2012
It is 7 o'clock in the morning and I've been on the internet since about 4 am.
I finished work on an infographic I've been designing - useful tips for searching with google, which I will put on a new site that I'm working on later today when I have time to write the copy to go with it. I was pleased with the result.
Once I had done that I popped into wealthy affiliate as I often do at this time of day I resisted the Live Chat because I didn't want to get distracted, but I answered 3 pms I had recieved, responded to a question on my personal blog space, tried but failed to track down some training that someone wanted and read the replies to some of the comments I had made yesterday. A fairly typical start to the day.
Now it's 7 am and so as per my schedule I thought I would start dealing with emails. As soon as I logged into my first account my heart sank. I had received 275 emails since I last checked about 8 hours ago. Not too many but certainly enough (particularly as it's not my only account). However, I was immediately aware of having 'notification overload'. Out of 275 emails 180 of them were notifications (and yes sadly I did count). The majority came from Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Street Articles, Wealthy Affiliate. Even while I was trying to deal with them - more were coming in.
Now here is the dilemma. On the one hand it can be useful to be kept up to date with who has commented on your articles, or repinned one of your pins, started to follow you on Twitter or left you a pm in WA. On the other hand - it means there are extra emails to deal with, which you either just delete or you find yourself dealing with there and then (which can be very time consuming and distract you from what you should be doing at that point.
So my observation here is - decide how you are going to handle the increasing amount of notifications that you're going to receive. Do you really need to receive them? I'm turning off the ones in WA because I drop in a lot - I can check what I receive - and if I miss the occasional one - then I'm sorry - but WA is not my job. I don't want the extra work in handling the amount of notifications I might get.
I'm not suggesting anyone else should do that for WA. It's clear a lot of people will find it extremely useful. My point is that if you have notifications coming from multiple sources - decide on a strategy of how you will deal with them. You don't want to get to the point where you dread opening your email box.
I finished work on an infographic I've been designing - useful tips for searching with google, which I will put on a new site that I'm working on later today when I have time to write the copy to go with it. I was pleased with the result.
Once I had done that I popped into wealthy affiliate as I often do at this time of day I resisted the Live Chat because I didn't want to get distracted, but I answered 3 pms I had recieved, responded to a question on my personal blog space, tried but failed to track down some training that someone wanted and read the replies to some of the comments I had made yesterday. A fairly typical start to the day.
Now it's 7 am and so as per my schedule I thought I would start dealing with emails. As soon as I logged into my first account my heart sank. I had received 275 emails since I last checked about 8 hours ago. Not too many but certainly enough (particularly as it's not my only account). However, I was immediately aware of having 'notification overload'. Out of 275 emails 180 of them were notifications (and yes sadly I did count). The majority came from Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Street Articles, Wealthy Affiliate. Even while I was trying to deal with them - more were coming in.
Now here is the dilemma. On the one hand it can be useful to be kept up to date with who has commented on your articles, or repinned one of your pins, started to follow you on Twitter or left you a pm in WA. On the other hand - it means there are extra emails to deal with, which you either just delete or you find yourself dealing with there and then (which can be very time consuming and distract you from what you should be doing at that point.
So my observation here is - decide how you are going to handle the increasing amount of notifications that you're going to receive. Do you really need to receive them? I'm turning off the ones in WA because I drop in a lot - I can check what I receive - and if I miss the occasional one - then I'm sorry - but WA is not my job. I don't want the extra work in handling the amount of notifications I might get.
I'm not suggesting anyone else should do that for WA. It's clear a lot of people will find it extremely useful. My point is that if you have notifications coming from multiple sources - decide on a strategy of how you will deal with them. You don't want to get to the point where you dread opening your email box.
Join the Discussion
mhamilt
Premium
I try and keep email separate from notifications. I turn everything off (save for new training here at WA), I check various social networks and WA often enough not to need it. Email overload is a bad thing, and before you know it you're managing emails, not engaging with whatever you want to be engaging with.
kyle
Premium Plus
I personally have always liked notifications (regardless of the service), but I do tend to scan notifications and pick out to me what is important. I don't like missing stuff!
I can appreciate the fact that it may be a distraction for some, but for others it is "reveal" in terms of the activity that is going on and quite powerful for being able to stay on top of their conversations in a very timely manner without always having to be logged into WA.
I personally prefer to be an "email" watcher than a "notification" watcher...far less time consuming and the response time is much quicker.
I can appreciate the fact that it may be a distraction for some, but for others it is "reveal" in terms of the activity that is going on and quite powerful for being able to stay on top of their conversations in a very timely manner without always having to be logged into WA.
I personally prefer to be an "email" watcher than a "notification" watcher...far less time consuming and the response time is much quicker.
BIS
Premium
Thanks Kyle - I know they suit a lot of people and it is a strategy that allows some people to keep on top of them and that's good.
All I'm saying is that people should have a strategy that works for them and I find the number of notifications that I receive from multiple sources unnecessary and counterproductive to the way I work, particularly on the days when it runs to nearly two hundred or more
My version of responding in a timely manner has to be at the slots I have allocated - not necessarily when I'm notified - simply because that isn't the smartest way of me using my time. I neither want to watch emails or notifications.
It's one of the things that I impress in all the articles I write for my coaching is that people have to find what works for them. That one works for you but it doesn't for me - but hey it wouldn't do for us all to be the same would it?
All I'm saying is that people should have a strategy that works for them and I find the number of notifications that I receive from multiple sources unnecessary and counterproductive to the way I work, particularly on the days when it runs to nearly two hundred or more
My version of responding in a timely manner has to be at the slots I have allocated - not necessarily when I'm notified - simply because that isn't the smartest way of me using my time. I neither want to watch emails or notifications.
It's one of the things that I impress in all the articles I write for my coaching is that people have to find what works for them. That one works for you but it doesn't for me - but hey it wouldn't do for us all to be the same would it?
kyle
Premium Plus
I figured that you would have your own efficiency system for handling your daily emails, could I expect anything less! :)
I agree, everyone has to find what works for them and what works for their own efficiency and productivity. There is NO WAY I could respond to every notification I get throughout the day as I get 100's and I have many email accounts that get this sort of volume, but it does come down to creating your own processes that work for you and refining them.
I will get there one day...
I agree, everyone has to find what works for them and what works for their own efficiency and productivity. There is NO WAY I could respond to every notification I get throughout the day as I get 100's and I have many email accounts that get this sort of volume, but it does come down to creating your own processes that work for you and refining them.
I will get there one day...
Amy Farr
Premium
I agree with the influx of emails being difficult to maneuver. Just starting here I need those notifications, esp about new training. But when I am "old school" with this (will it ever happen?) it will be something I need to address.
I think 50 emails is bad now, wow I can't imagine over 200...thanks for the heads up into my future!
I think 50 emails is bad now, wow I can't imagine over 200...thanks for the heads up into my future!
BIS
Premium
Thanks Amy.
It is manageable. As @Telmari says below it's possible to apply filters - but for me it's mre I don't want to have them at all - so I need to do something about it. I agree with you knowing about new training and other things are really important, but as I come in a lot I generally know about them.
(And believe me when I finished my other accounts 270 was nothing - how different life was before email!)
It is manageable. As @Telmari says below it's possible to apply filters - but for me it's mre I don't want to have them at all - so I need to do something about it. I agree with you knowing about new training and other things are really important, but as I come in a lot I generally know about them.
(And believe me when I finished my other accounts 270 was nothing - how different life was before email!)
Telmari
Premium
So what I've found helpful for dealing with email/notification overload when it can be classified based on some sort of criteria (here, source - Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc) is to set up good email filters to help contain everything. That way, it doesn't hit your inbox, and it provides an easy context to sort through everything together at once. And, you can always batch clear a specific folder to just not have to deal with that type of email.
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