a month of posts - day eight

Does technology really make life better or does it create an illusion that everything is better? I am asking this question from a communication point of view... just something I have been thinking about lately. I heard from someone that emails have slowed productivity by up to three times. Have we made more work for ourselves? Recently I have discovered my emails piling up and I have been unable to respond in time. Sometimes the emails are one-liners and sent by my colleagues that sit four pods down from me... go figure! Then again, I sometimes wonder how long should a paper trail be to be enough for documentation evidence if ever needed. Are we using technology for communication well? My latest observation is that every team in my department is all about setting up their own website. But what is the purpose of that when the information is more useful pooled into one news feed? Do we understand the full functionality and capacity of a website? We are living in a society of increasing information overload. Do we know how to revert back to the good old days of using paper and pen? Does saving everything we've ever typed help with anything? Sometimes I just think it makes the folders look great, but how much stuff do you end up throwing out because it isn't relevant? Sometimes I think we're just using technology in order to keep up with the times but not comprehending the complexity of some of these bits of technologies and how they can be used and affect our lives. I'd like to go to a tutorial that tells me how to deal with my email overloads...

Anyway... just thought I'd post some pics of Sarah and I from Chinese New Year... they are some of my fave candid pics of us.