Why I email complete strangers

Nice essay from Zachary Kai with many quotable bits! Social media platforms rise and fall like ancient empires sped up a thousand times. Yet email endures. Like the postal service or the printed book. Is it any coincidence these technologies remain my great loves? They share a quality I struggle to name. Perhaps it’s permanence in an ephemeral world. On the opportunity to be positive: The other thing I love about this communication method is it can be intentional, meaningful, hope-filled, and considerate. Or just kind. You can make a small difference with each one you send. Just like a smile. On the benefit of it being async by nature: You can choose to engage with it in human time, and so can the recipient: compose when you have something to say, respond when you have space to think. … email feels different. Richer. Perhaps because they begin with intention rather than an algorithm.