[comp.society] Email: adding inflection and body language

bobk@boulder.edu (Robert Kinne) (07/24/90)

John Sparks writes:

> Books, Novels, etc have been using the written word to get accross 
> emotions and such long before we ever had email, or TV or Radio. The
> written word can be used effectively in the hands of a good writer. Long
 
Well written poetry or prose can convey emotion, emphasis, and 
view point very effectively.  But this work is carefully crafted, but
writers whose life work is the written word, and who have opportunity
to rework, both before and after receiving comment from editors.  The
same isn't true of most using email, and the difference shows.  

All of us have had the experience of writing commentary we were sure
would be recognized as satire, and getting in return a blast from
readers who took the language literally.  (Do you think that Bill
Shakespeare, for example, needed smiling or frowning faces to write?)

The best writing on the Usenet is probably about equal to typical
newspaper deadline journalism.  And the worst ... (exercise left for
the reader).

Oh, yes, that was meant as humor.  :-) :-) :-)

Robert Kinne