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From: woods@hao.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.social
Subject: Re: Electronically Mediated Human Relationships
Message-ID: <186@hao.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 12-Aug-86 22:54:39 EDT
Article-I.D.: hao.186
Posted: Tue Aug 12 22:54:39 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 13-Aug-86 18:32:29 EDT
References: <124@uwmacc.UUCP> <1009@tekig5.UUCP> <6219@lanl.ARPA> <148@uwmacc.UUCP>
Distribution: na
Organization: High Altitude Obs./NCAR Boulder, CO
Lines: 19
Summary: Some prefer both methods for communicating different things


  Might as well jump into this. I happen to like both methods of communication
for different things. E-mail seems ideal for communicating either very
personal or unpleasant things. For example, it is easier to talk about
intimate things with people I do not know well by e-mail than in person.
If I am displeased with something my SO does on a long-term basis, I often
find it easier to mention it by mail. That way, she has time to read it,
get pissed, think about it, and calm down before we talk about it (or,
she can blow off some steam with a reply flame which I then have time 
to think about, etc.) While these emotional reactions can be considered
normal, they do tend to get in the way of the communication process in
face-to-face mode (which is more immediate). On the other hand, most
day-to-day things are far easier to talk about in person, where the
immediate feedback is a big help rather than a hindrance. It is also true
that face-to-face is in many ways more pleasant and easier (it has taken
me 10 minutes to type this, I could have explained it verbally in
less then 2). My $0.02 worth.

--Greg