As with all online innovations amid the dazzling array of technology so readily available today, e-mail offers a double-edged sword in education.

It's crucial for quick communication, professor updates, and 'emergency' messages. Without it, online courses could not function. But what happens when students take this convenience too far?

This is the question many professors are asking as they deal with a barrage of student e-mails that prove to be overwhelming, overly familiar, and sometimes, shockingly inappropriate.

From the International Herald Tribune:One student skipped class and then sent the professor an e-mail message asking for copies of her teaching notes. Another did not like her grade, and wrote a petulant message to the professor. Another explained that she was late for a Monday class because she was recovering from drinking too much at a wild weekend party.

Jennifer Schultens, an associate professor of mathematics at the University of California-Davis, received this e-mail message last September from a student in her calculus course: "Should I buy a binder or a subject notebook? Since I'm a freshman, I'm not sure how to shop for school supplies. Would you let me know your recommendations? Thank you!"

At universities and other schools nationwide, e-mail has made professors much more approachable. But many say it has made them too accessible, erasing boundaries that traditionally kept students at a healthy distance.

These days, they say, students seem to view them as available around the clock, sending a steady stream of e-mail messages - from 10 a week to 10 after every class - that are too informal or downright inappropriate.
As a professor, I can attest that students often use e-mail to escape responsibility or ask questions that could be answered far better in class. Of course, e-mailing with my students has also proved to be a crucial, and usually enjoyable, experience. (And I'll admit that as a student, I utilized e-mail for both good and evil.)

What do you think? Do students abuse the convenience of e-mail, or are the inconveniences professors face worth it, in able to enjoy the benefits of this technology?