A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a column about accountability and communication — two very important words to me.  I firmly believe that accountability and communication affect most aspects of our life:  work, government, home, relationships, etc.   Some have called it my “sermon,” because I tend to preach about both concepts.  In case you missed the column, I encourage you to read it in the column archives section of our Web site, www.meridianstar.com. 

Since that column, I find myself dealing with the frustration of another form of communication – e-mail.   Although e-mail has only gained wide acceptance in the last ten years or so, it has quickly become one of the most common forms of communication in both the business and personal aspects of our lives.  Too often, e-mail is one of the most impersonal forms of communication we can use.    

Have you ever wondered, “How did we ever survive before e-mail?” I wonder the same thing about cell phones and microwave ovens.  To be honest, though, sometimes I wish e-mail had never been invented.

When used appropriately, e-mail has many benefits.  It is great for businesses, as memos and other documents can be sent to a great number of people quickly, efficiently, and practically free of charge.  We no longer have to wonder if that monthly report will get lost in the mail or worry about the quality and clarity of a fax machine.  With e-mail, one push of a button and we can immediately transmit text, graphics, charts and picture thousands of miles away.

Unfortunately, there is a dark side to this technical wonder. How many of you have a friend or relative who spends FAR too much time mashing the “forward” key and sending you countless ridiculous e-mails? These people will forward to everyone in their address book every joke that gets forwarded to them (no matter the lack of humor or taste).  They forward every chain letter that predicts doom, proves a conspiracy, or claims you’re not a Christian if you don’t forward it to another ten of your friends in the next thirty minutes.    

A few years ago, I would get to work and start my day with a cup of coffee, walk through the building, and talk to people face-to-face. My current morning routine consists of unlocking the door, turning on the computer and immediately reading up to sixty e-mails.  At least I still have one part of my morning routine – my coffee. Unfortunately, that’s the least important part of my original routine. 

I don’t mind the good e-mails from our customers, but the number of junk e-mails that enter my inbox every day amazes me.   They range from hallmark card notifications to warnings that my car’s extended warranty is about to expire (never mind that my current car never had a warranty) to warnings that someone has tapped into my bank or Paypal account.  I don’t even have a Paypal account.

E-mail scams come in all forms, and they are looking more official than ever.  This past week, I read about a scam where the e-mail informed a person they won a lottery.  Days later, the scammers even went so far as to send the person an initial money order to claim the winnings.  The next step in the process was for the “winner” to cash the money order and send their bank account information back to the scammers along with the filing fee (which was covered by the initial money order) so the remainder of the winnings could be deposited into the victim’s checking account.  You guessed it!  Instead of depositing money into the account, it was completely wiped out. 

The moral of the story: if any e-mail comes to you and sounds too good to be true, it pretty much always is a scam.  Any e-mail that doesn’t address you by your full name should be considered a scam, no matter where it comes from. 

Of course, there is a great side to e-mail.  It allows us to send pictures of our children to our friends and family.  We can stay in touch with people we know, and some of them can turn into great friends.  And if you like sappy movies, it can make enemies into more than just friends by three powerful words – You’ve Got Mail.



Crystal Dupré is publisher of The Meridian Star. E-mail her at

cdupre@themeridianstar.com.