How successful have your email relationships/friendships been?

[KansDem]

Last week I took a trip to southern California (where I grew up) and revisited old friends and acquaintances. We exchanged email addresses (many business cards passed back and forth), and I was wondering just what success other DUers have had with renewing old ties via email. Many of these folks I haven't seen for 20-35 years.

My experiences with similar exchanges are:
1) You get stuck on some email list and receive the latest, lamest internet joke or weird story--I feel email messages are more personal and am offended if my name is placed in some pool for generic messages.

2) You exchange a few messages then sort of peter out to nothing--usually it winds up with me sending a message that isn't answered, so I wonder "Hmmm, did she get my message?" "Should I send a copy?" "Is this her way of telling me that she's not really interested in an email friendship?"

3) You send a flurry of emails, then wonder if it's too many, so you back off and send one every so often and wonder if that's enough, so you send more, then wonder they're too many, and so on. Similarly, you type a long "letter" then wonder if it's too long for email. Can email messages be too long?

DUers' insight and experiences are greatly appreciated. Some of these people are/were very special to me, and I don't want to jeopardize any possible reunion by being perceived as goofy and out-of-control...