[bradbatt]

Because so many other things come into email – marketing emails, notifications, work-related emails, etc. that people don't check it as often.

Texting and other chat applications are instant.

Email used to be a more instantaneous thing, but it has evolved into something that many people want to take a break from, so sending an email might mean that the recipient doesn't see it for hours or days.

[tonyarkles]

Texting and chat applications being instant is a downside sometimes, in that people have questions that they want an answer to, but won’t send an email because of the reasons you listed. Instead they send you an instant message, and the expectation is generally an instant response.

I’m trying really hard to get people to use email again for questions that they need answered but not immediately. But I seem to be losing that battle.

[stjohnswarts]

This is why I treat IM at work the same as email. I show up as unavailable and check a few times a day. If someone really needs me instantly they can come to my cube.

[clusmore]

This isn't a fault of email but the way we use it. I think what you're really saying is that we like to keep personal chat separate from impersonal spam, and I agree with this 100%. Couldn't we do this by keeping two separate email accounts? I just feel like we have spent thousands of man-years trying to come up with the one chat application to rule them all that everybody will adopt, that has no privacy concerns, that doesn't rely on a single service provider, meanwhile email is right under our noses.