Prompt Cast
Matt Honin Stops Using Email and Inspires Others to Do the Same
TLDR In this episode, Matt Honin discusses his decision to stop using email for personal communication and the positive impact it has had on his life. The podcast also features voicemails from listeners who have struggled with sending certain emails and the host's dilemma of how to thank their ex-girlfriend's mom for an expensive gift without revealing the breakup.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
This bonus episode of Reply All features voicemails from people sharing their experiences with email debt forgiveness day and an interview with Matt Honin, BuzzFeed San Francisco bureau chief, about a crazy thing he has decided to do.
02:05
Matt Honin has stopped using email for personal communication because there are better alternatives and his inbox has become overwhelming, and so far, he's loving it.
04:08
Matt Honin is worried about the judgment he might face for not using email, but the host of the podcast doesn't think it's pretentious or douchey.
06:13
Matt Honin's decision to opt out of using email is seen as inspiring and vindicating, as it is compared to someone deciding not to age or not to ride waves anymore, and after a break, the podcast plays voicemails from listeners who have had a hard time sending certain emails.
08:26
The host receives an email from a woman named Karen who shares a personal story about her husband's death and invites the host on a fly fishing trip, but the host has been hesitant to respond; however, on email debt forgiveness day, the host receives an email from someone they owed a response to, and they also receive a package from their ex-girlfriend's mom, which turns out to be an expensive yoga mat.
10:34
The host receives an expensive yoga mat as a gift from their ex-girlfriend's mom, but doesn't know how to thank her without revealing the breakup, and now it's been three months since they received the gift.
12:42
The host eventually responds to the woman's email, apologizing for not writing to her while she was in prison and explaining that he has since changed as a person.
Categories:
Technology
Society & Culture
