P2P

P E E R T O P E E R M A G A Z I N E · S U M M E R 2 0 2 5 59 TARA SAYLOR is a computer nerd with a background in corporate communications and culture studies. As a senior technology manager at BCLP, she is the technical owner of tools that support internal and external collaboration. Drawbacks: Because it is so easy and affordable to use at scale, it is easy to end up with an overwhelming number of emails. The lack of audio cues and feedback can lead to guessing about tone or intention. Additionally, emails can become confusing when multiple responses are received for the same email simultaneously. Use it for: Email is effective when you are connecting with people outside of your organization, or when you need to share information with groups of people without requiring immediate feedback. It also allows you to provide details and reference materials. THREADED DISCUSSIONS Benefits: Tools like Slack and Teams keep discussions in one place and organized, facilitating conversation and maintaining conversational context. Drawbacks: Since these tend to be shorter, text-based messages, it is easy to lose tone and nuance. Message threads can get just as noisy as email exchanges, and important information can get lost. Use it for: For conversations with the same groups of people. Posting to a message thread makes information visible to everyone on the project without demanding their immediate attention. MESSAGING AND CHAT Benefits: Instant messages, chat apps, and texts provide quick and informal ways to exchange information. They are often faster than email, without being quite as intrusive as a phone call. Drawbacks: Minimal context is conveyed with these brief, rapid messages, and there is an increasing expectation that they should be responded to immediately. Many firms have short retention policies for chat, and confidentiality is a concern for third- party tools. Use it for: Quick conversations with those you collaborate with regularly.

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