Is Skype the new email?
It’s an odd thought, I know, but I find myself sending and receiving Skype messages as if they’re email. What I mean is that I’ve started sending and receiving messages, using Skype’s Instant Message features, where I don’t expect a response right away (if at all).
In fact, I’ve started sending messages to people who are Offline, because I know they’ll get them when they come on!
Whenever I log on, I find these types of messages as well. Many are responses to blog posts, some are little “hey, can you send x file” and a handful are just “hey, haven’t talked in a while, wanted to know I was thinking about you” type messages.
I think this is very cool. Anyone else experiencing this? What do people think about the practice?
I know I wouldn’t want to get hundreds of these every morning, but it’s certainly an interesting new use of the medium.
July 30th, 2005 at 1:48 pm
welcome to 1996 and ICQ.
July 30th, 2005 at 1:51 pm
YAHOO IM has been used like that for quite a while …
July 30th, 2005 at 1:55 pm
It may not be for long. Cringley believes Skype may be sold to a big telco, like Comcast. Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp has been sniffing around too, it seems. I can’t say I’ve ever used it for anything other than VoIP.
July 30th, 2005 at 2:24 pm
Don’t worry, I wasn’t trying to say that the ability to leave an offline message was new, merely that I’d never sent or received messages in this way (ie: that effectively replaced email).
July 30th, 2005 at 4:58 pm
I don’t think Skype could be compared to e-mail. You should have compared it with SMS. I know SMS isn’t very populair in the United States but in Europe it has become thé way of fast and easy communication. Whether the person has his cellphone on or off, eventually the message will be read. Nothing new really, like you noted, except it is free and I guess a lot of people you know are using it.
July 30th, 2005 at 5:11 pm
Wow…karma. Just yesterday I wrote an article about how I don’t think IM will replace email in the foreseeable future.
If anyone cares, it’s over at Jurgle.com. I won’t link to it for fear of comment spam accusations:)
August 3rd, 2005 at 1:58 pm
I use Skype with the Jyve interface, and its answering machine. I work with France everyday, Skype is a great resource.