The Tyranny of Email

A co-worker sent me an email about a posting on Slashdot about The Tyranny of Email. It was an interesting and in my opinion, entirely valid description of how email interruptions are bad for your concentration. Just as bad for instance, as an interruption to go play Foosball.

For me the word "tyranny" is indelibly linked to the movie "Pulp Fiction" and Jules' little quote from the bible. So I decided to rework the quote for all those extreme programmers out there (and you know who you are).

The path of the extreme programmer is beset on all sides by the inequities of the management and the tyranny of email. Blessed is he who, in the name of quality and unit tests, shepherds the weak through the mountains of documentation, for he is truly his pair-programmer and the finder of bugs. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to distract and interupt my brother programmers. And you will know my name is The Coach when I lay my vengeance upon you.