[eweissenbach]

Do you occasionally find that someone has misread, or misunderstood a post you make here or on facebook? Have you ever read a post from someone else that is very confusing and even contradictory? Have you ever replied to a post from someone, taking issue with their comments, and had them reply that you misconstrued their intent? It seems to me that we are in a new world of communication, that some, if not all of us, are somewhat unprepared for. For example, did you ever write a letter to the editor of a paper or magazine? Most of us have not, but now, with the internet and all the interactive opportunities to instantly express how we feel about virtually anything, we are writing "letters to the editor" several times a day. I read newspaper, blogs, and magazine articles, then occasionally read the comments, and even sometimes add a comment. Until very recently you couldn't comment on an article without sitting down with paper and pen and write a letter, which most of us were unwilling or unmoved to do. I sometimes read a post and can't for the life of me figure out exactly what the writer is trying to say. I sometimes reread a post of mine and think, "that was pretty unclear, or didn't adequately make my point". Part of the issue is that we try to be concise, and in doing so, often leave out necessary context or nuance. I know I consciously attempt to keep my posts as short as possible (okay, okay, I hear you -- not short enough) because I don't want to ramble, and often don't want to take the time to express myself fully. It is interesting to me that we are all kind of learning this new kind of communication on the fly. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the give and take, and I think it is a wonderful tool that can help increase understanding.