Technology is such a wonderful thing.  We have new ways of accomplishing old tasks at much quicker and more efficient rate.  However, we are still surrounded by those who have allowed technology to spring up around them, refusing to completely embrace this change.

Perhaps this would be better titled, “The Misunderstanding of Technology” rather than abuse.  Yet my continued frustration lends to the current title.  Here are some common, every day abuses of technology that I am subjected to:

• Voicemail – Voicemail can be great.  So can e-mail.  Unless there is some special circumstance, you will not likely need both for the same request.  Calling someone and leaving a voicemail saying you are about to send an e-mail is a waste of time and should not be done.  Pick one or the other.  If you do chose to leave a voicemail, be specific as to your purpose.  Cryptic messages are frustrating and also an equal waste of time.
• Usability – In terms of web design and development, usability is one key area where many who fail to fully understand technology fall short.  Contacting your web developer and asking them to upload a 30+ MB PDF file to the company website is not the best option for many.  Call me crazy, but I would imagine that those on dial-up would become frustrated in a matter of seconds of discovering the size of the file they were attempting to open.
• File Attachments – Sure, some networks can handle large file attachments and some cannot.  In a previous company, your entire mailbox file was limited to 10 MB.  I removed all file attachments from emails so that I could keep emails filed.  Take care before blindly clicking send with a file attachment.  Even on networks where the files can be handled, nobody enjoys enjoying waiting for a 25MB Powerpoint presentation to come through.
• Improper Use of Email – I file 90% of the emails I receive as record.  I use folders in Outlook to quickly organize projects and emails relating to those projects.  When people send emails without subjects lines, with confusing subject lines, or even the entire message in the subject line, that is not the best use of how email was intended.  More frustrating than that to me, are Outlook email themes.  These should not be default in any office setting.  They are not cute.  They are not interesting for others to look at.  Replying to an email with a formatted email usually means your text is now triple spaced with confetti background.  Ugh.
• Assumption of Technology – If you are preparing a file to send to someone else for use, reformatting, etc, do not assume that just because you have a program installed that everyone else has the same program.  These specialty programs usually mean they have proprietary file extensions and that unless the person on the other end has that program, they now have a completely useless file.  Use the standard programs in your office/environment and do not deviate because you think what you have is cute.

I am sure there are countless others, however, these stood out in my mind over the past week as issues that I have dealt with.  Feel free to add your own.