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From: arndt@lymph.DEC
Newsgroups: net.flame,net.religion
Subject: Do the Great Moronic Masses Need Electronic Hand Jive?
Message-ID: <789@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 27-Feb-85 22:48:47 EST
Article-I.D.: decwrl.789
Posted: Wed Feb 27 22:48:47 1985
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Xref: watmath net.flame:8615 net.religion:5794

Several people from the net and one person with whom I work have suggested
that what I "have here is a failure to communicate".  That is, some persons
reading my postings on the net can't tell when I am being serious or if I
mean what I say because I don't make use of the 'smiley face' symbol to let
everyone in on the tone of my voice.  It was told to me that it was in the
net 'rules' that use of the ( :- ) was incumbent upon me. 

Well, I have thought about that and I have decided that it's a bunch of bosh!
I mean, I see no real substantive difference between what you are reading on
this screen and what you would read in any type of hard copy.  Sure it is 
brought to you by the magic of electronics, but it is not another language.
The medium is different from the message here.   Where else do any of you
use :- as a part of your expression?  Next time you write home to ask for
more money try it out on Dad.

As for not being understood, well, who IS understood all the time?  I send
something out that I think is a howler and one person tells me it was a yawn
and another says he fell off his chair.  I cast a pearl and someone steps on
it.  I think I nail someone with a short pithy barb and it gets called 'inane'.

Doesn't everyone face the same problems of communication?  I say I shave my 
face with a rock (I have a beard) and someone believes me!  When I pushed 
back on the person I know here about my not using the 'smiley face' I was
told to use it because "the other person doesn't know (crazy) you".  Well,
that's not good enough.  I mean, I do lots of reading (and so do you) where
you don't know the other person.

Now I'm not saying that one SHOULD NOT use it.  Just that I shouldn't HAVE
to.  It has become a 'convention' on the net.  That is perhaps the most
cogent argument in its favor that I can think of.  But it is not a part of
what one might call 'everyday' usage.  And we can make the tone of voice of
the speaker understood without it.  Not always of course, but it is done.

I must say the way some of you people take some of what I post makes it an
awful temptation to string you along into larger worlds.

The only thing I can come up with is that, on average (I AM given to murky
expressions sometimes), those who misunderstand me do so on purpose because
of a different world-view/ideology, they are the type who read Tattle, and/or
are bad peole!

                                
Keep chargin'

Ken Arndt