My Great Idea

With the plant closing this year, it didn't seem right to have a Thanksmas celebration. That means we have a few vendor samples and whatnot to give away. Want to win? Give us an idea—any idea!—for cutting down on information overload using the form below. Every responder gets a 2008 Product Services calendar.

See responses below.

Adjust Your Priorities

Before checking your email in the morning, set your schedule for the day and get started on the first project. —JM

Bullet Proof

Nothing grand...just bullet point whenever possible to keep things simple and allow for quick gleaning of information! —SL

Change the Subject Line

In addition to making sure your emails are only sent to those who need to know (as I see someone else suggested), use a helpful and descriptive (but short!) subject line. If you "piggyback" on a previous message with a new topic, change the subject line! It's much easier to find a specific email if the subject line is relevant. —JE

As Needed Only

Always check your address lists and don't send emails to people who don't need the information. Don't "reply all" when the information is only needed by one person. —LH

Log Off Completely

Take longer vacations!  —CB

Suspicious Sources

Blow away emails from sources that sound fishy before opening them! The subject line is your friend--it provides a clue! —JH

Hmmm

Bury your head in the sand until you're too old to care any more. —LS

Prompt Me

One small way that I cut down on others' info overload is that in Novell (Tools/Options/Environment/Signature) I have my signature set to "Prompt before adding." It's a long signature with various ways for people to contact me. I use it only with people who don't know me so that I and DC are identified and can be contacted. Usually, I do not add it to my emails, and instead end them simply with my first name. —MS

Crying Wolf

Speaking of email forwarding, BEFORE sending everyone you know the latest scam, virus, or car-jacking warning, check it out at Snopes.com. (I've been doing this for years and I've only ever found one true warning.) —JH

Better Group Think

Use wikis and other collaborative sites to post those interesting articles we all get, instead of forwarding them. —MK

Opt Out

Remove your name from as many e-newsletters as you can. How often do you actually read these emails? Probably less often than the time you spend deleting them! —JH

Cut Down on Email Copies

My idea concerns email overload. Do we really need to send out that "forward"? AND - if we are just copied on an email, chances are we don't have to respond. AND - we don't have to copy everyone on every email either. How much time each day do YOU spend on email? —EL

Turn Off Notify

That way, you don't get a pop-up, "ding," or icon in the taskbar when you get a new email. By doing this, instead of getting interrupted by email every ten seconds, you can check email on your own time. It works for me! (Also, just say no to Facebook.) :) —KS

Media Sabbath

Choose one day a week for a "media Sabbath" (maybe Sunday?) Put the answering machine on and turn off the TV, radio, and computer. Put away the Gameboy and the DVDs. Find something to do that will feed your soul instead of overloading it. —SS

Check Out

Take more vacations! —LB

Consolidate E-Newletters

Only have one news/newz/fyi etc. sent out on behalf of the whole building not one for every agency, then FYI, and CRC communications... you feel you need to subscribe to them all to stay up to date but rarely is there anything in them that is of key importance. —JB

Say More With Less

Hire the services of a good editor/copyeditor to prune down your copy (or cut it in half). And maybe we can get each agency to cut out one newsletter! They seem to be multiplying at a frightening rate. —RVH