Email confusion

[waterowl]

I am struck again by how easily personal email (email sent directly to me) confuses me relatively to other online formats. Group email such as on Yahoogroups is not directed specifically at me, so I take it as a general response even if in reply to my words. LJ or other blogs rarely confuse me. IM occasionally. But personal email is the source

Comments

[haddayr]

I cannot COUNT the number of misunderstandings I've had in email due to lack of context with facial expressions, body language, etc.

Comparing it to Asperger's is actually quite apt -- we are missing the social cues we depend on.

[dawnd]

(nods) Yes, I think it would be fair to say that e-mail gives everyone at least a light case of Asperger's. The biggest problem being that actual people with Asperger's learn coping skills, and those of us who are (FSVO) "neurotypical" will be surprised to be caught without those social cues. One would think that we'd learn over time, but on the whole, seems like not so much.

And even those smileys and suchlike that are there to HELP with the lack of expression can often be a hindrence. I once very specifically included a smiley to show that I meant something in a lighthearted way. The person read the words, looked at the smiley, assumed that the smiley was FALSE, and interpreted the whole thing as me being *malicious* about the "ill intent" that my words must mean, because no one could possibly actually MEAN what I meant with that smiley. *facepalm*

Sometimes I consider going back to writing all of my correspondence long-hand.

[waterowl]

Ouch Dawn! That sucks eggs. I do at least know how to read smileys... at least I hope so. :)

[waterowl]

Thanks for the understanding! It helps!

[esmerel]

ozarque has written about this in her LJ a few times. She has some really good stuff, you might find it interesting.

[waterowl]

Thanks for the link!