Quote:
Originally Posted by 10/10ths
That’s the problem with words on a screen, there is no tone, you can’t look the other person in the eye, hear the inflection in their voice, and know the true meaning of what they are trying to say like you can when you are actually talking to folks face to face.
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I have an old friend, someone I went out with 35 years ago, that I maintain contact with via text messaging. She can be pretty opinionated on many things, and loves to stir things up in our discussions. Our texts—generally light and friendly—can become truly contentious at times. She enjoys “pushing my buttons” from time to time, and I don’t hesitate to push back. Sometimes, inevitably, unintentionally, feelings get hurt and one or both of us get really PO’d, and typically it’s for this very reason. We always ultimately patch things up—old friends are the best, right? The sense of humor returns. But what was stated in the above-quoted post is true. Facial expression and body language aren’t well transmitted via text messages. As she has said on many such occasions, “This is a dangerous way to communicate.” While she was referring to texting, clearly the same applies here.
And husker, don’t fret—I’m pretty sure you’re still in good standing with everyone here.