email vs. evolving social website mediums

[russell]

So I just saw this on Digg:

Every communications medium has its own costs and benefits. But with e-mail, the costs grow over time as the benefits shrink. It's now just an easy way for everyone and anyone to waste your time and steal your attention. Here's how to stop using e-mail, and replace it with newer, better forms of communication.

I am thinking, "what? why would I want to get rid of email and what are these 'better' forms of communication?" I have the opposite feelings about Twitter's recent takeover of everything and other evolving communication standards... I want to rid my life of them and consolidate them into email. Facebook is fucking annoying, it's nice for stalking people, but I really would rather just have a list of people's email addresses. Twitter is somewhat irrelevant since it's like RSS for people with short attention spans who don't know how to use RSS, but the point is I don't see what's wrong with email, and I definitely can't comprehend removing it from my workflow.

Am I old-fashioned or does anyone else feel this way. 

Also this thread isn't about the merits of Facebook or Twitter, I just used them as examples because they're popular.

[Zach]

I still prefer email as my primary way to communicate online.

[Tomboh]

i barely ever use email

[ME##]

Twitter makes absolutely no sense to me, I don't see why anyone cares about it.


And I wouldn't say that you're old fashioned.

[Daddy]

E-mail for more professional matters.
Social networking for personal.

[strongbad]

E-mail for more professional matters.
Social networking for personal.

Same here buddy

[Feynman]

E-mail for more professional matters.
Social networking for personal.

[Nyerp]

n/a

[Wrench]

I really don't care for email. Facebook is very nice for me.

[superclucky]

i check my email once per month

i rely on IM ;_;

[NOA_Haunted]

I've never sent an e-mail to anyone, ever.

[Lotos]

E-mail for more professional matters.
Social networking for personal.

Yeah, I'll go with that.

[Oh]

 I don't understand why people like Twitter, it's basically just facebook statuses. "Lol I just peed""I'm on my way to work""Just saw yellow car" 

[me003]

i think if everyone just used AIM again things would be simpler. Im no good at keeping up with these social networking sites

[bluaki]

IM really just makes everything simpler. Email for delayed, longer, professional, or more important messages.
I don't get the popularity of communicating via PM on social networking sites. It really slows things down to have to open casual messages like that through non-ajax web interface. An IM client/protocol with a feature for offline pounce or whatever it's called can completely replace chatting through a PM system.
I'd rather refresh my email box than a typical Myspace or whatever profile to check for new messages if IM isn't an option.