[Vision2020] Food for Thought... enjoy! *slow smile* or maybe not?

[Janesta Carcich]

The Secret Cause of Flame Wars

By Stephen Leahy 
02:00 AM Feb, 13, 2006

"Don't work too hard," wrote a colleague in an e-mail
today. Was she sincere or sarcastic? I think I know
(sarcastic), but I'm probably wrong.

According to recent research published in the Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, I've only a
50-50 chance of ascertaining the tone of any e-mail
message. The study also shows that people think
they've correctly interpreted the tone of e-mails they
receive 90 percent of the time.

"That's how flame wars get started," says psychologist
Nicholas Epley of the University of Chicago, who
conducted the research with Justin Kruger of New York
University. "People in our study were convinced
they've accurately understood the tone of an e-mail
message when in fact their odds are no better than
chance," says Epley.

The researchers took 30 pairs of undergraduate
students and gave each one a list of 20 statements
about topics like campus food or the weather. Assuming
either a serious or sarcastic tone, one member of each
pair e-mailed the statements to his or her partner.
The partners then guessed the intended tone and
indicated how confident they were in their answers.

Those who sent the messages predicted that nearly 80
percent of the time their partners would correctly
interpret the tone. In fact the recipients got it
right just over 50 percent of the time.

"People often think the tone or emotion in their
messages is obvious because they 'hear' the tone they
intend in their head as they write," Epley explains.

At the same time, those reading messages unconsciously
interpret them based on their current mood,
stereotypes and expectations. Despite this, the
research subjects thought they accurately interpreted
the messages nine out of 10 times.

The reason for this is egocentrism, or the difficulty
some people have detaching themselves from their own
perspective, says Epley. In other words, people aren't
that good at imagining how a message might be
understood from another person's perspective.

"E-mail is very easy to misinterpret, which not only
triggers flame wars but lots of litigation," says
Nancy Flynn, executive director of the e-Policy
Institute and author of guidebooks E-Mail Rules and
Instant Messaging Rules. Many companies battle
workplace lawsuits triggered by employee e-mail,
according to Flynn.

"People write absolutely, incredibly stupid things in
company e-mails," said Flynn.

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/1,70179-0.html
********************************

 I have only been on-line for around six years. There
is a chat site I visit from time to time, where most
of us use some kind of "something" be it emoticons
(seldom used), *smiles* whatever... Most of the time
it is a *smile* *brow furrowed* or *eyes spitting
fire* *L* or REALLY bad things I won't mention here.
It cuts down on misunderstandings. There are some
wicked political arguments there, that make V2020 look
like childs play. No offense intended... the
difference at v2020, obviously is that we see one
another around town...as well as use our real names.
The folk I chat with I will never see, as they live in
Oxford, Germany, Australia, other parts of the world
as well as our country. It really is interesting to
hear views of America, from my foreign friends, and
nemeses. 
 
Being nice and polite is so much more fun, don't you
think? I can see some of you rolling your eyes (yes, I
KNOW who you are!) *cheerful laugh*, and ready to whip
out some snappy retort. Save it *gazing out the
window* for a really HOT, sunny day! *laugh*

We are a day closer to spring! *yeah!*

Have a good one.

 

Janesta Carcich

“Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated.”

~ Coretta Scott King ~ 
1927-2006


***Because I am finding my words on the blogs of organizations I do not support***

~~~~~ Original material contained herein is Copyright 2006, Janesta Carcich ~~~~~ 

~~~~~ Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside the Vision 2020 
             forum without the express written permission of the author~~~~~

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