Want to escape your email? These days, who doesn’t? Email is one of the easiest technologies to use, which leads to an unfortunate side effect: we get too much of it. The information overload crisis has gotten out of hand and is now at the point where it’s interfering with the way business operates. This problem is no longer just an inconvenience, it’s a real financial concern. In the U.S. alone, $650 billion per year is the cost of lost productivity, according to IORG. But what can be done?
Luckily, some developers are finally starting to build applications that focus on solving real-world problems instead of simply cloning the hottest web app du jour. One such application attempting to solve problems AwayFind, a tool that aims to win the battle against email overload…or at least put up a good fight.
AwayFind is a clever solution to the email overload problem. It lets you step away from your email without missing the most important messages – the so-called “email emergencies.” That addresses one of people’s deep-seated fears of email abandonment – the fear that some piece of critical information is going to arrive and we’re not going to see it.
Basically, AwayFind is an auto-responder on steroids. You can configure its outgoing message to your liking. That message includes a link which allows people to get your attention if they are, in fact, emailing you about something urgent.
Your message could read, for example:
Messaging me about something I need to know today (like a canceled meeting)? Please click here to get my attention:
But What If It’s Important?
Those who really needed to reach you can click the link to be taken to a web page where they can fill out a quick form, the results of which will be sent to you.
The form is not too cumbersome to fill out, but it has just enough fields to cause people to pause and consider whether or not it’s really worth their effort. It also includes a CAPTCHA at the bottom to keep the spammers at bay. The form can be configured so that messages are categorized by the sender via a drop-down box (e.g. “Personal,” “Business”, etc.) and then those messages can be auto-routed to the appropriate person(s). In other words, AwayFind can automatically delegate your email for others to deal with.
When someone fills out the form, you’re alerted based on the settings you chose during AwayFind’s setup and configuration. You can receive a text message (SMS) or you can specify to be alerted at a different email account – that secret address you created for emergencies only. You can also check AwayFind’s online inbox via the web.
With AwayFind, you can finally enjoy that vacation, to be sure, but you can also set up day-to-day templates to manage the everyday onslaught.
Pricing Info
The AwayFind service comes in two pricing tiers – a free version and a Professional version. The upgraded plan is $4.95/mo or $34.95/year and comes with a few extra features like a branding option which incorporates your logo, SSL security, integration with your web site, international SMS support, and more. It works with Gmail, Yahoo mail, Hotmail/Windows Live Mail, Outlook, and others.
Now that you have all that extra time on your hands, you should probably read AwayFind’s guide to not checking email (provided for free upon registration), as it will help you stick with your new plan. Remember, breaking email addiction is something we have to fight one day at a time.
