Checking Email While on Vacation - Technology Evangelist

Randy Salas' latest Technobabble column for the Minneapolis StarTribune called Technobabble takes a look at disconnecting while on vacation. It includes a few quotes from some guy named Ed Kohler who hops on his email from cyber cafes while in foreign countries:

Can we take a vacation from e-mail?

The first time I tried to contact Ed Kohler, the Twin Cities tech guru was traveling in Argentina over the winter holidays. My communiqué concerned business matters -- his expertise as the executive producer of Eden Prairie-based TechnologyEvangelist.com -- but he dutifully replied within two days of my e-mailing him to let me know he was on vacation.

Like many Americans, Kohler can't seem to get away from work while he's on vacation. Technology won't let him, not when anyone can be reached by cell phone or when laptop computers can access the Internet from hundreds of thousands of Wi-Fi hot spots worldwide.

Read on for more on my take on this issue.

What's your position on checking email while on vacation? Do you check your work email? Personal email?

What about cell phones? The last two international vacations I took solved my cell phone addiction while I was there since my CDMA phone didn't work in Croatia or Argentina. Do you keep your ringer on for all-important calls while supposedly getting away from it all?

Hit post instead of preview. Oh, and cell phones? On all the time. "Getting away from it all" to me only means getting away from the day job. I still prefer to be somewhat connected to everyone else.

I tend to separate my vacations into two types. A 'vacation' where I'm available for communications and checking e-mail, and vacations where I'm completely unavailable. The 'unavailable' vacations tend to be overseas & out of cell phone range.

I make it a practice to turn ringer off of cell phone every Sunday morning. I leave it off all day (unless, of course, I have a real estate transaction in the works). It came back to bite me last Sunday when I dropped my cell and couldn't call it to find it. Thank goodness for phone insurance.... My vote for vacation is to keep the phone on vibrate, look at the calls, but only answer for the important stuff (like from your friend who is calling to say that they were able to get the dinner reservations, or the tee time!) Work will be there when you get home!

When I go on vacation I usually take my laptop for entertainment and information lookup while at my destination. Since my mail client is configured to my work and personnel email addresses I can't help but see the red icon showing how many messages I have. Depending on the message I may or may not respond. Or simply respond saying I am on vacation and will get back to them at a later date. It is hard to stay away from the internet and my laptop. Thankfully I do not have data services on my cell phone, so email is not checked and phone calls are screened or gone unanswered as my phone is left in the hotel or car.

that said...i have a t-mobile blackberry so I'm pretty much leashed and collared nearly everywhere.

I'll know in advance if there are any matters that require my attention while I'm on holiday. If there are none (I normally make sure there are not), no work emails and very few if any personal emails. Definitely no mobiles. Buy a local sim card if people HAVE to call you.

i would always have a separation with work and vocation. If things special attention, i will read emails during vacation. i think a call is enough during vocation.

Comments

1. Posted by: Ang on March 24, 2008 7:53 PM:

It depends on the length of the vacation. If it's 3-5 days I'll check it only if it's convenient to my vacationing activities. I won't go out of my way to find a hotspot or cafe, but if I find myself in one I might check in. Any longer than that and yeah, I will haul out the laptop to at least check OIM email.

Now, if I had a blackberry, it'd be a different story.

But I never check work (the day job) email. 1. It's not accessible outside the network. 2. I have a back-up. 3. Gross.

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