Do you remember your first email?

My first email? [<img

src=“/static/2015/05/buenas_noticias__email_marketing.jpg?resize=300%2C146” class=“alignleft size-medium wp-image-2284” decoding=“async” loading=“lazy” srcset=“/static/2015/05/buenas_noticias__email_marketing.jpg?resize=300%2C146 300w, /static/2015/05/buenas_noticias__email_marketing.jpg?w=1024 1024w, /static/2015/05/buenas_noticias__email_marketing.jpg?resize=980%2C479 980w, /static/2015/05/buenas_noticias__email_marketing.jpg?resize=550%2C269 550w” sizes=“(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px” data-recalc-dims=“1” width=“300” height=“146” alt=“Buenas noticias - email marketing” />]¹I’m pretty sure I can remember my first email. It would have been probably 1999 (I was yr 9, 14). I was on the school student council, and setup an email address ostensibly to email the local (Southampton) council to ask whether they could pick up recycling from the school (an outlandish request ‘in those days’, and indeed the answer was no, we’d either have to pay or take it to the local recycling centre). I’ve no idea what my first received email would have been (the ‘no’ aside). Of course, setting the email up also gave access to msn messenger (now defunct); a definite plus (I was about to write ‘I suppose facebook is now the equivalent’…but actually that’s probably just from my old perspective :/ wow). It’s funny how much even people a couple of years younger than me would have had a different experience of school IT – I’m not sure the IT rooms even had internet when I arrived, and it certainly wasn’t always turned on even by the time I left in 02. I guess many people will have sent their first email in a work context,  but I don’t really know how long people have had access to email at work as standard, and especially how many have had personal accounts at work – I know within my working years schools haven’t always given staff personal accounts although I assume that has now ended. Of course, now I have 3 functioning email accounts (with more addresses), I also feel like a lot less of my email involves sending personal conversational emails (perhaps particularly a feature of my undergrad travelling), and a lot more mass mail stuff. Anyway – do you remember your first email sent?  What was it?

 Among my weirdest emails ever? As something of an aside, I think

this remains of the weirdest emails I’ve ever received: From: Estates Sent: 2013 Subject: Death, Dying and Disposal Conference Short title: Delivery of Coffins to Jennie Lee Building for the Death, Dying and Disposal Conference. Type of work taking place: Unloading of coffin and memorial exhibits to Jennie Lee Nexus, ground floor, from lorry parked on Walton Hall Drive – 8am Thursday 5 September 2013. Loading of coffins to lorry parked on Walton Hall Drive 10am Monday 9^th September 2013. Areas affected: Walton Hall Drive leading to Walton Hall and Jennie Lee Nexus. Date work commences: 8am Thursday 5^th September 2013. Date of completion: 11am Monday 9^th September 2013. Date of notice: Tuesday 3^rd September 2013. Who affected: Staff, Contractors and Visitors using Jennie Lee Building and Walton Hall Drive. Alternative arrangements: Staff are reminded to comply with any signage, barriers or other instructions issued whilst work is in progress. Accessible routes:  All areas accessible. Specific health & safety precautions: Please comply with any directions, signals and signage and do not cross any barriers. Details: On Thursday 5^th September a number of coffins will be delivered to Jennie Lee Nexus for an exhibition.  The delivery lorry will park on Walton Hall Drive on the Jennie Lee Nexus side. On Monday 9^th September 2013 they will be collected by lorry from Jennie Lee Nexus. OU colleagues are welcome to visit the two exhibitions.  Please see attached for further details.

Footnotes

1. /static/2015/05/buenas_noticias__email_marketing.jpg ↩