World Social Forum, January 25, 2007, Nairobi, Kenya
I had not had access to my e-mail for 9 days and I was terrified at what I would find – thousands of e-mails to plow through, crises that exploded beyond my notice, deadlines missed, rare opportunities for bringing about the Reign of God squandered . . .
When I finally got onto the internet last night, I was pleasantly surprised to find I only had about 500 messages waiting for me. I began to go through them, looking for 1) those that were urgent and had to be answered, 2) those that looked like they were possibly worth returning to for reading and response, and 3) those I could delete immediately as outdated or not worth reading. I finished 90 minutes later, bleary-eyed and bored with
$ ZERO urgent messages requiring answers (naturally a blow to my sense of importance),
$ about 90 that might be worth returning to for one reason or another,
$ and 400+ for immediate banishment to the Trash Bin.
This morning at breakfast I told my story and my companions lit up in recognition. ‘Yes,’ said Luis from Spain, ‘when I am away from e-mail for a week or two, I see that the e-mails I answer faithfully on a day to day basis are really not important and are a waste of time.’ He knew someone who never deletes any messages and now has over 9000 in his Inbox. (I wonder how much time he spends going back through them looking for that important contact person or bit of information that he knows is in there somewhere!)
Margarida spoke of people at the other extreme who, if they have one unread or unanswered e-mail in their Inbox, cannot go to sleep at night! I had to confess that when I am trying to avoid a piece of important but difficult work I must do, I often decide I should check my e-mail first to see if I am missing anything!
Then it struck me! How brilliant! What a shrewd and effective strategy!
This is the way that Microsoft and other computer and communications TNCs (transnational corporations) work together to undermine civil society! It is like the dumping of cheap, subsidized goods on local markets by wealthy nation TNCs which destroys local industries and farmers. The flood of inconsequential e-mails lowers the value of locally produced ideas and overwhelms local producers! An ingenious plot! It plays upon our psychological compulsions to respond or to clean everything up. It tempts us away from the work we should be doing. It slows the progress of civil society to a crawl – like the childhood nightmare of trying to run while trapped in mud or quicksand!
We must resist this oppression! Rise up, my friends, and throw off your digital chains!
This is all for this blog entry. I must go now and upload this to the internet – and maybe check my e-mail one more time before the long journey home.
(Disclaimer: I must admit that in reality I believe firmly in the value of internet communications for the mobilization of civil society. I have written this piece “tongue in cheek” – sort of. . . .)
Posted by Jim Hug, SJ - President, Center of Concern.
Dear Fr. Hug, SJ:
I think Microsoft should write software that will do the job for you, based on your preferences. The only caveat I have about this is that the proceeds go to the Gates Foundation, rather than not. You would then have a personal bulk mail folder, or equivalent, that would relieve you of those e-mails you can afford to ignore. Even better, the software can answer them for you! R.
Posted by: Robert Helfman | January 29, 2007 at 08:20 PM
Congratualtions on the "overthrow". I had a similar experience when I spent 10 days in El Salvador. Before leaving I had decided not to use the internet OR PHONE to connect with home or work back in Minnesota for the entire stay unless there was a true emergency. That experience, like yours, was humbling and liberating at the same time. It affirmed which connections were essential - the ones with the folks who met me at the airport or called/emailed the day I returned to welcome me home. L
Posted by: Lori Dahlhoff | February 01, 2007 at 03:14 PM