Email no longer king of online communication?

[xoox]

The growth of email has slowed down over the past few years and also the immediacy of communication via social networks and Twitter mean that email is starting to play second fiddle to social networks in communication.

Growth of email in the past year : 21%
Growth of social networks in the past year : 31%

http://techcrunchies.com/growth-in-e...network-usage/

[David]

This is certainly true for anyone who wishes to communcate using stilted, short, truncated, sentences

[B4its2L8]

oic

sd

[Ennis]

Kids don't use email. To a 16 year old, email is something for old people.

[David]

Many younger folk (who don't use email) need to increase the size of their vacabulary before it's too late

[Ennis]

You talk like an old guy, David. Email user...

[xmailer]

wt r u guys tkng abt?

[Ennis]

This is how they talk.

[xmailer]

Well, I was doing my best to fake it, of course. I'm pretty sure a real non-emailer would probably think my above post contained too many big words.

[Ennis]

I think you got it spot on.

[mf1941]

I was listening yesterday to folks who were discussing their 'Farms" on Facebook.

Even after they explained their virtual cows/ducks/crops to me I was at a loss?....

Email is the king if you actually use the internet for business & communicate with companies around the world.

I make a living composing in plain text & haven't been busier in quite some time.

Somehow I've gotten this far without IM, a million virtual friends or maintaining a running commentary of my day for all to see.

all I know is that it works for me

[David]

Well, at least I learned something this morning; B4its2L8's comment I will be able to use in about an hour, when my daughter sends me a text

[jeffpan]

Here QQ is the king of kings (though I dont like it at all).
80 million users are online concurrently, hmmmm

[FMRocks]

Originally Posted by Ennis

Kids don't use email. To a 16 year old, email is something for old people.

Oh. Then why are more 16 year olds submitting their high school assignments online, and emailing their teachers about their study questions?

Originally Posted by Ennis

This is how they talk.

Speaking for some of the young people (I'm still 20 something), short-form is not *always* how we write. When we're communicating on instant messaging, or texting, the need for speed overrides grammar and spelling norms. Ask any professional court reporter if they use something called "short hand." Why is it that when it's formalized and taught in an institution, it's a "skill", but when another form of short form language takes place spontaneously, it's frowned upon?

Now, to address the actual point in the original post:

Originally Posted by xoox

The growth of email has slowed down over the past few years and also the immediacy of communication via social networks and Twitter mean that email is starting to play second fiddle to social networks in communication.

Growth of email in the past year : 21%
Growth of social networks in the past year : 31%

http://techcrunchies.com/growth-in-e...network-usage/

First of all, this short report does not address among what types of population the growth of social networks is the best - I would guess one of the largest growth demographics on there are actually older adults involved in politics and political campaigns.

Secondly, the fact that email growth was slower than social network growth is not an indication that email is taking second place. I can guarantee you that the *growth* of VOIP software is greater than the rate of growth in phones. That does not mean that phones have taken "second place" to VOIP software. When nearly everyone has email, the growth factor will naturally be small. Lower growth rates may merely indicate the reaching of saturation point.

[xoox]

When nearly everyone has email, the growth factor will naturally be small.

You are missing a point here. With email, yes, everyone has an account..the new accounts that are being created (276 million) could probably be majorly from the newbies..maybe 12 or 13 year olds getting their first email account (or is it much earlier? I don't know.. )

But for social networks, the growth is not just from the newbie (the same 12-13 year olds) but also from the older age group that hitherto thought social network was for the teens, but now have started using facebook like high schoolers..