In spite of the many slurs we could cast in its direction, let’s face it: email really is cool. Think about it for a moment. Phone calls are great for synchronous communication, that is, I say something, you think for a second, and reply back. But what if I call and you are not home? I can leave a message. (Oh, sure, I can also call your cell phones, instant message you, or text you, but hang on for a moment.)

But when I leave a message on your home phone, I have to be reasonably concise, which for some of us is a challenge, I conclude, based on how many voice mail messages I receive which end with, “I know I’m rambling….” Also, if something distracts me while I’m leaving a message, like getting pulled over by the cops, I may have to hang up and call back and say, “Now where was I?” Also, if I leave a message at your home, I have to hope your kids don’t check the machine and erase it without telling you. And, if I am slightly ticked at you, I cannot leave a “test” message and then come back later and decide whether or not I really want you to hear it. Furthermore, if I want you to look at something, the phone falls completely flat. Email overcomes all of these challenges.

Email allows me to communicate with anyone—in fact, multiple anyones—anywhere in the world at the same time, granted in a one-way conversation at any particular time. And email leaves a trail that can be followed. By default, most email programs maintain the entire conversation—assuming you “reply,” rather than draft a new email to me—allowing us to keep track of a tête-à-tête which can span months. I can also be as angry as I want, save a draft, breath into a bag, calm down, and then later edit out words like “bonehead” or “weasel” or a curse word in a foreign language, thereby preserving our friendship, you weasel. And I can send you pictures, documents, or really lame jokes which have been circulating for years (an example of unacceptable use at work, but a great use of personal PC time, assuming the jokes truly are funny). Whether you love email as much as I do or not, it’s a powerful tool that is likely to be the centerpiece of business communication, which tools like instant messenger, SMS text, and Wikis are likely to augment, but not replace. But email is vulnerable to the same sorts of attacks that plague and undermine anything else flying around on the Internet.

Coming soon: how email is sent.