The current trend is actually the reverse: general communication is being replaced by specific communication that is better suited for the type of communication it is. Social, pictures, group chat, business collaboration, negotiation/agreement, etc - email CAN function as the medium but is not ideal, whereas the apps that replace email streamline the communication experience.
I realized I want more when, a while back, I saw someone working on a social network over email. I realized that it's a brilliantly low-tech solution to a problem people are trying to solve in fairly complex and inventive ways (like Scuttlebutt). Social network posts as email would be an interesting approach to the problem.
Back to my original statement, data emails would allow users to carry a pile of application data (like their social net feed) with them. Since email is something federated, backup-able, migrate-able, etc - users would own their own data. I like that idea.
Fundamentally I love the idea of email. I do of course have reservations with the idea of introducing non-human oriented emails, but I hope you (reader) can look past that and onto the intent - offering slightly more feature to a robust, tried and true platform.
I say "slightly more" with care. Lest we make email a steaming pile of innovation like we always do.
We do limit the file size of what we'll send in encryption. But does someone really need a 3 gig PDF?
We really only keep fax for government requirements and the few outliers that will not cut the phone cord. We were getting some many junk faxes we had to implement a white-list.
I wish everyone would stop trying to disrupt it.
As in terms of usage? No.
I still have to fax things to the government, and I have no idea why. For example, I had to fax an old tax return to California Franchise Tax Board, but they would only accept mail or fax.
And I never scan something and email it. Even banks went straight past email check deposits to smart phone photo check deposit. I put pictures on the web. I text things way more. I use Google Docs, Drive, DropBox, or the cloud for about everything else.
It's because the USPS (and FedEx, UPS, et al.) and fax are considered "secure" methods of transmission for confidential or private information (including PHI).
E-mail is not, because it travels over the public Internet.
> sudo ps_mem | grep slack
564.3 MiB + 72.4 MiB = 636.8 MiB slack (5)
Usually end up running "xcalib -i -a" (invert colors) before switching to slack.