Evolution of Email

In a professional setting, many people automatically think that the “go-to” way to communicate is through the use of email. Email has dominated the professional environment and has even became a way for people to communicate long-distance. The stigma behind email is so much different than the use of SMS text, which is a more informal way to communicate.

Email, or “electronic mail,” has been around for much shorter of a time than most people believe. Before email, people would write physical letters to other people – writing both addresses of the location the letter is intended to go to. Physical letters could be time consuming and the only thing more time-costly than writing the letter was the process between when the letter is sent and when it is received.

Communication through letter changed in 1971. At a Boston firm, Ray Tomlinson was tasked with finding a use for ARPANET, which was an early computer network that stood for Advanced Research Projects Agency Network. With this project, Tomlinson was able to create electronic mail. Along with creating email, Tomlinson decided that “@” would be the locator symbol for email addresses.

The start-up of email first began with only text included in the messages. In addition, the use of email was for more academic purposes as the main users of email were from universities or research organizations. Whether it was conversations regarding academia or any information about research collected, email became a major way for people to go back and forth. However, 17 years later, in 1988, the first commercial email was sent.

According to the International Encyclopedia of Hospitality about email, “E-mail is sent cheaply via a network from one computer to one or many other computers at near instantaneous speed, with an email address available to all with access to a computer.” As technology has evolved overall, email has as well.

Over time, email has become more than just something for selective people. In modern day, people can email more than one person at a time. This form of communication is much different compared to SMS texting and the stigma that surrounds it. Comparing email and SMS text message, SMS has a stigma that it is more informal and needs to be responded to quickly. However, email is receiver friendly; the receiver of email can choose when to respond. This technology has evolved by also being a major way for marketers to target their audience. All in all, email has changed communication between professionals, businesses, and simple informal communication.

Reference: https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/esthospitality/electronic_mail_e_mail/0 ; https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ngeobig/email/0 ; https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/ngeongse/e_mail/0?institutionId=2970