There is tone, and yes, it may be in the eye of the beholder, but it's still a factor.

Seconded. Choice of words also sets a tone. I (and maybe this is just me) tend to put things like "um," into my posts to show I'm being tentative.

And as much as some people look down on emoticons, I like them as substitutes for facial expression and body language.

Is it weird that I love the fact that people stand up and say, "I fell into the guacamole, and I'm still here?" It gives me a warm fuzzy, for some strange reason.

I think quacamole is gonna need to go in the FAQ (or ettiquette).

I think quacamole is gonna need to go in the FAQ.

It's a very useful concept. Kudos to Allyson for the coinage.

thankees.

I think the useful thing is that one can recover and have the pants steamcleaned. Some folks will always think of you as That Dork, others will laugh and pick you up and hand you some seltzer and a towel. But you can recover, if you've got some finesse.

As for there being no such thing as tone? BS. There is tone, and yes, it may be in the eye of the beholder, but it's still a factor. My tone right now? Probably too cranky and strident, frankly. Because I'm tired, and I know things aren't going to come across quite how I mean them.

Seems kind of loud and clear to me. Smackdown. It's not just for newbies anymore. Or I might be miss interpreting your tone.

I find the board less and less tolerant of people not in the "inner circle". I miss the kinder, gentler, table talk days. *shrug*

I think quacamole is gonna need to go in the FAQ.

First mentioned in Allyson "The Minearverse: YExpirationDateMV" Mar 17, 2004 7:41:42 am PST

I find the board less and less tolerant of people not in the "inner circle". I miss the kinder, gentler, table talk days. *shrug*

I miss the Bronze. I understand.

Still, I don't see it. There's been in influx of newbies, sure. I don't see mistreatment of them, some have made themselves quite at home.

If Clay Shirky is right, we'll reach maximum density, there'll be exodus, and then we'll settle again. Like the Circle of Life without all the singing.

I'm cranky by nature. I'm cranky and of a circle the wagons sensibility. You're all newbies to me. I had to get to know you. Some of you I love dearly, some of you piss me off, but occasionally crack me up, so you earn (earn!) my respect and tolerance, and even my championship should it be needed (sorry for the c-word), as a fellow Buffista. Some of you have no redeeming social qualities that I can tell (and I'm more than sure the feeling's reciprocal) but damn, you're my people, and I'll defend you against invaders any day.

Some of the newbies became my people so fast it was spooooky. I suspect they lurked and learned for quite a while before venturing to speak. Some other newbies bumble around like puppies, spill the punch *and* the guac, get reprimanded, figure out where they went wrong, stick around and eventually become valued my peopleses.

I think the board is doing fine. I think we've handled things as well as most newbies could expect, given who we are and what our proclivities are. Part of the onus is on them, and they need to realise it.

I'd like to point out that I was here before all of you.

All your newbies are belong to me.

Seems kind of loud and clear to me. Smackdown. It's not just for newbies anymore. Or I might be miss interpreting your tone.

Nah, more frustration than smackdown.

There is tone online. It's where I've mainly communicated for half my life. It's not the same as spoken word, where you can rely on infliction. It's all about word choice. I find claims that there isn't tone in the written word baffling, because it's a medium for communication, like speech or any other, and it has its own rules and forms and patterns and ways of getting things across. I don't deny that there's more room for misinterpreting, but that doesn't mean that tone's not there, and if multiple people have issues with the tone, you (general you) need to take a look at how you're wording things in the context of the culture you're communicating with.