Facebook illustration.As few as 3-4 years ago the question would have been “what makes a productive voice mail?” (Seriously check the date on that one). Today’s question does not pre-suppose the premise that voice mail is productive.

Email’s productivity has also long been questioned for its productivity. In my work life and in the lives of others I’ve noticed that many career minded folks tend to loath the prospect of checking email because it can take a very long time. Only recently have I become aware of the twenty-something’ habit of not checking or leaving voice mail; some go so far as to suggest voice mail should be abandoned.

For professionals who bill by the hour the aggregate time it takes to check email or voice mail is a pressing issue. Especially frustrating can the be the transaction cost associated with logging how much time is spent on each client’s or email or voice mail and then billing for it. This could be why the Wisconsin State Bar Association reported that merely two-thirds of respondents on a 2006 state wide practitioner survey indicated they always track their time.

The blogosphere has been buzzing about how voice mail is treated more like a pager these days. This article’s illustration shows an example of generation Y talking about it on Facebook even.

My thoughts on the topic is that voice mail really does suck. I hate checking it. I’d rather talk to a real person anyway. I don’t mind leaving them as much. Maybe I’m a hypocrite.

Also I’m looking forward to better voice mail solutions. Apple’s visual voice mail is a good example. My telephone service includes options to have my voice mail transcribed into email so I can search it via text and don’t have to take my own notes. An audio file can also be attached to an email. That is great to help redirect messages that really should have gone to someone else.

What do Queercents readers think about voice mail or email?

UPDATE: Someone called me today and due to a phone glitch we didn’t connect when I pushed talk.   I called the guy back.   I say “hi, this is Adam Nelson returning your call.”   He laughs and says “you must be under thirty!”   I say, “who are you!”

And in the comments… readers talk about the importance of texting and make the case for professional settings to adopt text as a formal means of communication.