From nevileb Sent Fri, Jul 3rd 1998, 18:36
I know what you're saying. In many ways, though, I think that the anonymity of faceless communication brings out a much more natural form of communication. If people are upset about something they let you know - there's much less tongue-biting. Of course, that's just as bad as it is good. bbn -------------------- Often I have wondered what KIND of *global community* the internet is breeding. Communication without the benefit of facial expression, gesture or even vocal inflection can so easily be misinterpreted that it gives the task of hermeneutics a whole new twist. At least most texts have a built in *meta text* wherein the context is somewhat developed; threads on the email junket, however, can be snipped at any point and always depend on previous dialogue - which, in turn, also is without all of the amenities of the presence of the other. You can see it in the development of "keyboard faces" and the like - a strain to interject that which is missing. Add to that the often unnerving cloak of anonymity (people can project whatever image/identity they want) and the sort of paradoxical isolated immediacy of the net and it makes you wonder what will come of all of this. I speak more often to those whose faces I cannot see than to my next door neighbors some days. Weird. jeff -- dancing/about/architechture "...with wandering steps and slow..." ICQ904008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------