Opinions on email retention
Jun. 6th, 2005 08:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
podlingI was going to do a poll about this, but then realized that much of the time the answers aren't quite right or don't match the answer I would ideally like to give. So. I've been debating with myself and want opinions from others.
Is there a limit on how long you keep email from people? From people you don't talk to? From people you do speak to? From people who you do still talk to but have a very different relationship with now?
I mean, basically that last one is where I am. In a general sort of way, I think it can be very cathartic. Like deleting all emails from an ex from years ago, it can feel good, provide more of a sense of closure. Definitely. But that's not the case here. And I have to examine, why did I keep all these emails? Do I really want to read through them all? The answers are that I don't know, and probably not. But do I want to delete them? But when the relationship is more vague, what then? I suppose it's not all about email though... real written mail for instance.
Just rambling thoughts about it, I guess...
Is there a limit on how long you keep email from people? From people you don't talk to? From people you do speak to? From people who you do still talk to but have a very different relationship with now?
I mean, basically that last one is where I am. In a general sort of way, I think it can be very cathartic. Like deleting all emails from an ex from years ago, it can feel good, provide more of a sense of closure. Definitely. But that's not the case here. And I have to examine, why did I keep all these emails? Do I really want to read through them all? The answers are that I don't know, and probably not. But do I want to delete them? But when the relationship is more vague, what then? I suppose it's not all about email though... real written mail for instance.
Just rambling thoughts about it, I guess...
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no subject
Date: 2005-06-07 03:49 am (UTC)I keep only about six weeks worth of email in my inbox. If an email has contact info, it floats around in a separate folder until I put it into my address book. I archive all of my sent mail, but that's more a CYA than anything else. If I keep too many things, the feelings attached to them begin to weigh me down, and I'm slow enough emotionally as it is.