"...but bad masters."
My rather lovely friend recently wrote a rather lovely blog entry about me recently and it struck me that, had she tried to say it in person, I would have cut her off with jokes. What makes it easier to accept something when written then when said in person?
Perhaps we still think that the written word reflects some great thought behind it, some time spent searching for the perfect phrase...but you know as well as I that this just isn't always true. Some writing (particularly that found online I'm afraid to say) is littered with mistakes (as I'm sure my blog is a testament to!) and obviously has been typed before fully thought out. And sometimes it's easier to write trash as it's a little more faceless; I write this in isolation, you read it in isolation. Face-to-face is harder, more personal, inescapable. So maybe I should put more stock in verbal compliments...or at least let people give them without immediately making a joke out of it.
Nevertheless, the written word inexplicably has some sort of power. Which is why I'm always a little extra-cautious when sending emails at work. Yup. Extra-cautious. You know, in case what you say sounds a little rude. Hmm. Not everyone feels the same way.
So, world, just remember that if you don't know the person you're emailing, perhaps a one line message might seem a little cold. Maybe add a few courtesies, or some lighthearted punctuation - a question without a question mark can be a little severe: "I assume this information is correct" may not technically be a question, but how much would it kill you to stick a squiggle on the end eh? Makes it less like you're barking at me and more like a conversation. But you know, whatever. What do I know. I just write for a f*cking living...
My rather lovely friend recently wrote a rather lovely blog entry about me recently and it struck me that, had she tried to say it in person, I would have cut her off with jokes. What makes it easier to accept something when written then when said in person?
Perhaps we still think that the written word reflects some great thought behind it, some time spent searching for the perfect phrase...but you know as well as I that this just isn't always true. Some writing (particularly that found online I'm afraid to say) is littered with mistakes (as I'm sure my blog is a testament to!) and obviously has been typed before fully thought out. And sometimes it's easier to write trash as it's a little more faceless; I write this in isolation, you read it in isolation. Face-to-face is harder, more personal, inescapable. So maybe I should put more stock in verbal compliments...or at least let people give them without immediately making a joke out of it.
Nevertheless, the written word inexplicably has some sort of power. Which is why I'm always a little extra-cautious when sending emails at work. Yup. Extra-cautious. You know, in case what you say sounds a little rude. Hmm. Not everyone feels the same way.
So, world, just remember that if you don't know the person you're emailing, perhaps a one line message might seem a little cold. Maybe add a few courtesies, or some lighthearted punctuation - a question without a question mark can be a little severe: "I assume this information is correct" may not technically be a question, but how much would it kill you to stick a squiggle on the end eh? Makes it less like you're barking at me and more like a conversation. But you know, whatever. What do I know. I just write for a f*cking living...
*Quote from Aldous Huxley
