Spam doesn't kill appetite for e-mail - Tech News - CNET.com

A full 52 percent of respondents surveyed in a Pew Internet & American Life Project study reported receiving no spam in their work in-boxes. Another 19 percent said spam accounted for less than 10 percent of the mail they received. The "Email at Work" survey, scheduled for release Monday, polled 1,003 Americans who use e-mail at work.

The study found, among other things, that the average worker spends about a half hour each day handling e-mail and sends or receives a total of about 15 e-mails.

The results surprised even the researchers, who said they expected to find evidence of a growing backlash against e-mail, as many people and businesses are increasingly overwhelmed by unsolicited messages.

Instead, researchers said spam hasn't hit most workplace in-boxes with the same vigor as that of personal e-mail accounts that explode with unwanted messages.

What's more, the study found that those who are overwhelmed by spam at work constitute a small but growing group of "power e-mailers."

The power e-mailers, who made up 20 percent of those surveyed, received about 50 messages each day and sent more than 20. Those people were also the most likely to check their in-box several times an hour, and many said they spend two hours a day dealing with e-mail.