Given the obvious benefits of an empty inbox, why do so many users allow their inboxes to fill up? A primary reason is that it’s easier in the short-term to let the messages pile up. As messages stream in, it’s easier to ignore them than to take the time right then to clean them out. Then, past a certain point, it becomes nearly irrelevant for users to attend to (and delete) any new e-mails, since there are several hundred older messages still awaiting attention.

The inbox is a “slippery slope”; the more messages the inbox contains, the easier it is to let it grow. There’s another reason for full inboxes, less obvious but equally pertinent. People often use the inbox for several purposes it was never intended for:

• Task list: Users often keep action items and other “to-dos” in the inbox. This is perhaps the most common misuse.
• Filing system: Meeting notes, project status messages, attachments containing proposals and other important documents stay in the inbox, instead of going to a proper project folder.
• Calendar: Dates and times for meetings, conference calls, or other events pile up in the inbox.
• Bookmarks list: E-mails are kept that contain pointers to websites and other applications. Usernames and passwords may be in these messages as well.
• Address book: Messages containing phone numbers and postal addresses of contacts may stay in the inbox instead of being entered into an actual address book.

It’s a mistake to rely on the inbox for these functions. An enterprising programmer may provide us someday with an inbox that does perform these tasks, but for now, the inboxes most people use (in Outlook & GroupWise) are simply not appropriate for those uses. A key to any information management is to use the right tool for each piece of information; a to-do list for to-dos, a calendar to store appointments, and so on. Users should use the applications outside the inbox to handle each function appropriately. One might correctly argue that Microsoft Outlook’s calendar, task list, and address book are inadequate tools. As true as this may be, they’re still better than relying on the inbox.

Until the software industry creates the perfect e-mail tool, it’s important to use the inbox for its only appropriate purpose: storing e-mails temporarily before they are read, and either filed or deleted, but always removed.