SC - list tones

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 4/4/00 4:57:19 PM Eastern Daylight Time, 
dhaven at rickardlist.com writes:

<< The tone of your statements are set up to drive away those who are not set
 on researching their persona/interests >>

I don't really see any tone evident in any posts to the list. I sometimes 
read a post and based on what I am feeling or thinking about a subject 
imagine a tone. But, realistically, it is very difficult to write a 'tone' 
which is by it's nature a sound pattern. 

I try to use words like 'I', 'personally', 'IMO', various emoticons, etc., 
but inevitably there are still those who choose to read things into a post 
that are not actually written there and completely ignore the key words which 
denote personal opinion. 

I also try to answer a specific post BEFORE I am aware of the writer's 
identity to avoid any personal interpretation of the post. If I am writing a 
post directed to a specific person, I try to mention that person by name. If 
the name isn't there in my posts then the message is not a personal message. 
This carefulness does not prevent a large number of my posts from being taken 
personally. And in many cases has caused quite an uproar.

IMO, the best way to read a post to this list is to automatically assume that 
it is not a personal letter unless your name is specifically mentioned. View 
it with the anticipation that it will contain some information that is 
valuable and ignore the rest. Ultimately each of us is typing a message on a 
sexless, ageless computer which will in turn send it to another similar 
machine. 

Sometimes I truly believe that we were all created just a moment ago by 
deities that have eternity to create many new scenarios just to see how the 
characters react in any given situation and the Gods are enjoying the 
play..............

OTOH, I am just a butterfly dreaming I am a man and soon I will wake up and 
fly away.........

Ramble finished......:-)

Ras