email will never die

These thoughts are triggered by the hey release, but they are otherwise unrelated.

Every now and then, an application comes along, grabs substantial userbase and claims to have solved the “issue” with email, texting and whatever memorabilia you want to share with your friends. Provided you’re part of their locked garden. Various pricing models are applied here. Math your heart out.

However, here is the thing: each one of them, requires your lock-in to that application. That’s how I ended up with 16 texting (or similar) applications on my phone. Because my contacts, personal and customers demand their favorite platform for my attention.

And that is why email will never die. It works most of the time and it does not matter who your provider is: Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, Protonmail, Fastmail, a local Exchange server, some postfix running on an RPi. It does not matter. Granted, when your message does not go through, there may be insurmountable hoops to jump, but in the end, email is still the ubiquitous text application that works for everyone, everywhere between big walled gardens and even your own backyard if you care to run it on your own. And that is why, even though email is not instant messaging, people (OK not my kids) still treat it like it being such.

I am still undecided whether to invest in Hey. The application looks good, the web client also, but the cost of switching from my current walled garden (that also offers some identity services) is big.