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Out is Over--The Real Y2K Disease Is Connectivity!

The Real Y2K Problem... Thomas Friedman, one of my favorite columnists, wrote a marvelous article in the New York Times (August 10, 1999) on the "virus of overconnectedness," which included the memorable phrase: "Out is over." I love it. ... In the old days, your receptionist would simply say you were out and take a message. But today, uh-uh. The caller will want to know your cell number or pager or, soon, e-mail address for instant messaging.

Even in this wired world, making personal connections is incredibly important. In fact, I argue that the information overload makes personal relationships even more important today. ... Which reminds me. I didn't get invited to this year's CEO Summit hosted by Bill Gates. But I really liked what Bob Muglia of Microsoft said about it. "Conversation is still the most efficient networking protocol that exists. ... There are still benefits to physical person-person interaction." (WSJ, May 19, 1999) Yes, Bill, see my contact info below.

The tricky part is achieving the balance between wired connectivity and face-to-face interaction (uh, schmoozing). ... And part of achieving that balance may be allowing folks to forgo answering their e-mail. Here's my fantasy. Once a week, you can delete any five e-mails in your inbox. Wow, I know that it's totally impractical. But it always seems that I've got about five messages lurking in my mailbox, and they're always the ones that require the most thought. If only I could magically delete them!

Question... How do you unplug from the wired world? How does your company try to reduce the volume of e-mail? Send e-mail to me , and I'll excerpt the best ideas. Thanks!

--Peter