The thing about Slack DMs

Let me be clear: I don’t mind Slack broadcast channel communication, but DMs frustrate me.

Here’s why: I’m really good at email.

80% of my communication is with the outside world — and via email.

Over a long period of time, email has developed integrations, APIs and workflows. These are critical to how I communicate everyday.

But if somebody DM’s me something in Slack, I can’t do anything with it.

If somebody sends me an email, I can do lots of things with it.

I can forward it.

I can CC people in.

I can file it away.

I can add the URL to my to-do list.

I can do all sorts of things with email, but I can’t do that with a Slack DM.

With Slack DMs, it’s also really unclear the urgency with which I need to respond.

30 seconds? 30 minutes? 30 hours?

In this modern world — as we are getting pinged constantly across multiple channels — our attention span as a species is shortening dramatically.

We’ve got to relax, got to ease up the need for instant communication and we’ve got to recognize that the human brain actually needs time to process ideas.

We shouldn’t have this six second, 140 character, DM, instant message, 10 second disappearing snap communication culture — for the good of humanity.

It’s just not healthy for human brains. It creates constant anxiety.

So call me old fashioned, but that’s why I prefer email. It’s just more civilized.