Electronic mail or email is a simple tool for asynchronous collaboration in the textual medium. It allows users to send text messages over an electronic network from one machine to another -- usually between computers. Although a simple tool, email has proven to be a highly robust and effective collaborative medium.
Pros[]
- Its asychnronous and textual nature allows for the mediation of conflicting schedules and timezones, enabling more effective communication and collaboration across the potential gulfs of space (national/international), time (timezones/individual schedules) and culture (like writing a letter, one may take their time with responses, aiding in language barriers).
- Collaboration via email (like other web-based mediums) allows for more easily overcoming cross and inter cultural issues, as its dissembodied nature may bridge social differences more redily.
Cons[]
- As it is a medium which in many respects immitates turn-taking dialogue, email does not easily allow for higher numbers of individuals to contribute - however it does amplify the ability for inclusion beyond a non computer mediated discussion. This may be due to a phenomenon know as the Dunbar Limit or Dunbar's Numbers.
Email list serves[]
(write about this form of collaboration, linking to coauthoring.)
Related protocols and standards include
- SMTP
- IP
- ascii
There are many different email applications, some examples are
- Microsoft's Outlook
- Web-based, such as Yahoo!'s or Hotmail
- Pine
- Lotus Notes
Compare to
- chat tools
- discussion (threaded, on-line, topic-based messages)