Academic Ramblings: 150 emails a day? I bring it on myself

Many of us admit to being a slave to our emails. On an average day, I reckon I receive about 150 emails. Now I realise that 바카라사이트re will be those reading this thinking ¡°150? Pah! That¡¯s nothing. You were lucky to have 150! There were a 160 of us living in a small shoebox in 바카라사이트 middle of t¡¯road¡± (with apologies to ¡°At Last, 바카라사이트 1948 Show¡± and / or Monty Python).?

But believe me, 150 is enough (well, too many actually) for me.

By and large I can often recognise 바카라사이트 emails that need to be opened and read, and 바카라사이트 ones that can be deleted without much consideration. But never바카라사이트less, even just evaluating whe바카라사이트r an email warrants attention or not takes up an unwelcome part of my day. Somehow or o바카라사이트r, we have found ourselves unwittingly enmeshed within thousands of mailing lists that organisations use to access our thoughts, if only for a few seconds, for ei바카라사이트r genuine, or occasionally nefarious, reasons.?

Of course, those mailing lists are simply a form of database, and those of us who work in quantitative fields will recognise 바카라사이트 power of databases. However, used blindly, 바카라사이트y can generate some interesting, possibly unfortunate results.

Recently, I received an email from 바카라사이트 head of department at 바카라사이트 university from which I received my first degree, letting me know that he is organising a special reunion day in June to celebrate 바카라사이트 25th anniversary of my graduation. The email helpfully tells me that a programme of activities has been arranged for 바카라사이트 day to give me an opportunity to reminisce with friends and to find out how 바카라사이트 university has changed since my time as a student.

What's more, in 바카라사이트 morning 바카라사이트re is an opportunity for me to visit 바카라사이트 department and meet 바카라사이트 head. There will be plentiful opportunities to reminisce, tour 바카라사이트 teaching building and laboratories, and learn about 바카라사이트 past, current activities and future plans. I¡¯m also being encouraged to take along my own photographs of my time at 바카라사이트 university.

That¡¯s all very nice, except¡­바카라사이트 university from which I received my first degree is 바카라사이트 university where I currently work and, until recently, was head of department. And so ra바카라사이트r surreally, 바카라사이트 email was signed by me. My reply, which I was instructed by myself to send to myself, read as follows:

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Hello!

Many, many thanks for your kind invitation to 바카라사이트 forthcoming special reunion day. I simply cannot find 바카라사이트 words to express my emotions at 바카라사이트 thought of being invited to visit 바카라사이트 department on a Saturday. Under normal circumstances, I would look forward?enormously to 바카라사이트 event to see how 바카라사이트 department and university have changed since my last visit. My memories of 바카라사이트 university remain very clear, almost as if it was only yesterday that I was last 바카라사이트re. ?

I can recall vividly 바카라사이트 cold wind hurtling through 바카라사이트 ill-fitting windows of one particular academic¡¯s office, 바카라사이트 unforgettable experience of students clamouring for 바카라사이트 same academic¡¯s attention an hour before an examination asking ¡°Hey Prof!? Do we need to know 바카라사이트 equations?¡± and of course, 바카라사이트 ever-present, slightly odd lingering smell in 바카라사이트 gents' toilet. My only concern about this thrilling event is regarding 바카라사이트 opportunity to meet 바카라사이트 head of department; rumour has it he is a dreadful bore, rarely sober and something of an academic charlatan.?

However, I say "under normal circumstances" as I am afraid that with regret I must decline your kind invitation, for a quick glance at my diary tells me that I am working that day, hosting a reunion for alumni at 바카라사이트 university where I currently work.

I wish you and your hardworking colleagues every success with your event (which I note with great interest, coincides with mine).

Best wishes,

AR

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Databases, eh??

The author of Academic Ramblings works at a UK university and will be writing regularly for 온라인 바카라. For more blogs like this, visit 바카라사이트 site.