As modern technology becomes more sophisticated, we are now able to automate virtually any everyday process and reach people across the world in many different ways. You can now program your Tivo with a text, reach a universe of Twitter users with just a few strokes of the keyboard, and navigate your way through city streets with a just a push of a button.
With so many incredible innovations constantly debuting on the tech scene, it’s easy to take email technology for granted. But, without a doubt, email has completely has changed our lives. In some ways, it was the fore-runner for all of the new technologies we’re seeing—that is, sending out a 140-character update to the entire web via Twitter isn’t that big of a leap from typing text into a box, pressing send and having your message virtually instantaneously delivered to people across the world from you. Similarly, email created a desire for immediate communication that is now being fulfilled by web conferencing.
When technology makes it easier to connect with others and to get information faster, it’s hard to imagine a downside. Yet anyone who’s personally sent (or had their cat or baby accidentally send) an email without an attachment, to the wrong person or written after a night out on the town can testify to the fact that easier communication comes with a price. That’s where Google’s “Undo Send” comes in. The newly-unveiled feature for Gmail users consists of a button that says “Undo”—if it’s pushed within 5 seconds of pressing “Send,” the user will have the opportunity to correct the email by adding an attachment, removing a recipient who wasn’t meant to be included, and more.
It might seem that this “Undo Send” is nothing but good news. After all, who doesn’t want to have their technological cake and eat it, too? If we have the immense power to send a message to anyone in the world, shouldn’t we also have the power to un-send? On the other hand, will people ever learn to use technology responsibly if they don’t have to face consequences from rushed emails that end up costing companies money or hurting people’s feelings? As my mom used to say, “haste makes waste!”
The answer probably lies somewhere in the middle. Technologies like email make our lives and businesses more efficient but can also damage productivity—and our reputations—if used incorrectly. So, next time you press “Update” on Twitter, “Share” on Facebook, “Send” on your email program, or “Share your desktop” in your virtual meeting, pause for a moment and review what you’ve written. Perhaps that forced “time-out” will help you avoid sending something that shouldn’t have been sent. And, maybe, that’s what “Undo Send” is all about.
Posted under Web Conferencing
This post was written by Christine Olivas on March 26, 2009
