L
Larry
Irony is famously dangerous to use in e-mail and online discussions where
people do not know each other and are not seeing each other face to face,
and it often leads to misunderstandings. The writer may think that his or
her comment is obviously ironic, but it may not appear that way to others.
This is especially the case when the comment is a criticism or attack.
Friends can kid each other this way because they know they're kidding. With
strangers it's different.
To say to someone, a complete stranger, "You might want to go in to have
your obsessive-compulsive levels checked," and then add the emoticon
indicating, "See, I didn't mean it, so don't hold me accountable for what I
just said," is not nice.
I have been attacked at this forum for attacking Word 2007. But I've never
used personally insulting language about anyone, which certain people in
this forum such as Greg have been doing.
And now I suppose I'll be attacked for what I just said.
people do not know each other and are not seeing each other face to face,
and it often leads to misunderstandings. The writer may think that his or
her comment is obviously ironic, but it may not appear that way to others.
This is especially the case when the comment is a criticism or attack.
Friends can kid each other this way because they know they're kidding. With
strangers it's different.
To say to someone, a complete stranger, "You might want to go in to have
your obsessive-compulsive levels checked," and then add the emoticon
indicating, "See, I didn't mean it, so don't hold me accountable for what I
just said," is not nice.
I have been attacked at this forum for attacking Word 2007. But I've never
used personally insulting language about anyone, which certain people in
this forum such as Greg have been doing.
And now I suppose I'll be attacked for what I just said.