The New Mail

So now there's zzz-mailing.

Doctors were surprised to be able to confirm that a woman, while asleep, turned on her computer, accessed her e-mail server, entered her password, and sent e-mails to friends. The woman has done this multiple times. The messages are sometimes nonsensical and sometimes just plain gibberish. Apparently the woman's behavior has been linked to the medicine Ambien which helps people sleep. The doctors have termed the behavior zzz-mailing.

I don't know why the doctors are surprised. It's the next logical step in communication evolution isn't it?

We've gone from the pony express, to air mail, to voice mail, to e-mail.

We've gone from rotary phones hanging on a wall, to push button phones on a desk, to cell phones clipped to our clothing and plugged into our ears.

The only remaining uncharted territory is communicating while asleep.

Actually, zzz-mailing opens up a whole world of benefits to the sender of the messages. The sender can disavow any responsibility.

I was asleep when I sent that, the sender can say when his or her boss demands an explanation for an e-mail calling the boss a subhuman S.O.B.

I was asleep when I sent that, can become the excuse for an endless number of errors and misbehavior. I mean a person can doze off anytime right?

Hmmm, maybe I'll just keep a bottle of Ambien in my desk drawer. No telling when it might come in handy.