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I expect that communicating by computer is a concept quite new to many of you. While I don't claim to be an old hand at this, I do have a little experience and - more to the point - a brief document on the subject. The following is shamelessly plagiarized from notes on my company computer network.
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While communicating by computer has many advantages, there are some drawbacks:
- Nonverbal cues (such as facial expression, intonation, and body language) that enhance face-to-face discussion are missing.
- Reading takes longer than listening, and reading a terminal screen for long periods of time may become tiring.
FACIAL EXPRESSION
One of the greatest difficulties when communicating by computer is that you often cannot tell if the author of a note is serious, joking, angry, or being sarcastic because you cannot see the author's face. As a result, users of computer-based conferencing systems have developed patterns to represent facial expressions.
Some examples of patterns are presented here for your consideration.
:-) Joking or sarcastic face
:-} Fiendish grin
;-) A wink
:-( Sad or angry face
|-( Late night
INTONATION
Use all uppercase letters when you want to SHOUT in your note. Surround with asterisks a word you want to emphasize (like *this*).
EMOTION
Do not be afraid to rant, protest, or pontificate in your notes -- just be considerate enough to warn people that you are about to express an angry or unsolicited opinion.
One way of signalling the boundaries of a tirade in your text is to use some expression before and after the text in question. For example, you could surround an online rampage with <FLAME ON> and <FLAME OFF>.
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