Filter #10 Block
Another option for emails that are not part of a mailing list you have subscribed to is to block them before they drop in your inbox. Most email providers have tools to allow you to block emails based on the sender. So if you work in an institution where you regularly receive emails that are of no interest for you from one individual you have the option of either filtering them with the advanced tools within Gmail that will place emails based on subject heading keywords or senders in certain folders; or just block them altogether. Obviously you cannot block just any old email and pretend you never received them if you are trying to avoid a certain piece of work or conversation, but for an awful lot of emails you can simply move them to the side for later whilst for others just ensure they never reach you in the first place.
Not all of these tools will work for everyone, as I said earlier they are like certain diets, some just need to much attention, others are just plain weird, but even if you try a couple and find they work you have gone some weight to shedding a few pounds of information that until now you never realised you wouldn’t miss.
Andy Tattersall is an information specialist working at ScHARR.
Image courtesy of nicolasnova via Flickr.