srm@nsc.UUCP (Richard Mateosian) (03/02/85)
In article <789@decwrl.UUCP> arndt@lymph.DEC writes: >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. > >Well 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. Most of what you read in hardcopy is not unfiltered stream-of-consciousness. Competently produced books are edited. Even your letter home to dad asking for money is carefully thought out, and presumably you and dad have a prior base of communication and understanding. Net communications are like TV news, and they should be prepared as thoughtfully and pitched at as broad an audience if you wish them to have predictable effects. -- Richard Mateosian {allegra,cbosgd,decwrl,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!nsc!srm nsc!srm@decwrl.ARPA