Email bankruptcy is deleting or ignoring all emails older than a certain date, due to an overwhelming volume of messages. The term is usually attributed to author Lawrence Lessig in 2004,[1] though it can also be attributed to Sherry Turkle in 2002.[2] An insurmountable volume or backlog of legitimate messages (e.g. on return from an extended absence) usually leads to bankruptcy.
During the act of declaring email bankruptcy, a message is usually sent to all senders explaining the problem, that their message has been deleted, and that if their message still requires a response they should resend their message.[3] [4] [5]
Similarly, the inability to maintain an overview over messages in an instant messenger chat room may be referred to as "chat room bankruptcy".[6]