I say preach on. It must be very soothing to read your letters kevin
Patricia Ehiorobo (Mrs.)
Occupational Health Manager
Occupational Health Department
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
Sterling Way, Edmonton
London N18 1QX
Tel: 020 8887 2328 / 3124
Fax: 020 8887 2469
email: [log in to unmask]
-----Original Message-----
From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
Behalf Of Maguire, Kevin
Sent: 06 July 2010 14:31
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [OCC-HEALTH] Netiquette
Dear all,
Just an appeal to everyone to think about what you are writing. As a
world-wide community, we must be sensitive to our use of language.
Think twice about the 'bon mot' and think thrice if the words are just
pouring from your fingertips in a marvellous stream of consciousness. I
am very aware that most of us are thick-skinned but that thick skin
might just be a professional persona and not be part of who we are,
especially in our privacy when we sit behind our PC.
I have, over the years, only felt the need to write to someone on
perhaps a handful of occasions and, before I contact them, I try to
imagine what it was like when they sent the email, bashing away at the
keyboard and isolated from the audience (Geographically perhaps
thousands of miles/kilometres). Perhaps there was a naturalistic appeal
in the words forming, in their cadence, their onomatopoeia, their
alliteration . Perhaps they naturally followed iambic pentameters and
they were proud of the Shakespearian quality of that missive. Perhaps
they think "they know me and my ways".
The way I look at it is, like comedy (including Shakespearian comedy),
timing is everything. With a face-to-face audience, the raconteur can
judge that timing: we can pace delivery and watch our audience's faces
in order to judge when to give that punch line. We can tease the
audience and draw them on and then give the killer line that makes them
laugh partly in relief. We can be apparently offensive with our words
but undermine such a notion with the smile on our face. We can say
something ridiculous but keep a straight face and then smile. In
watching our audience's reactions to our words, we can redress any
misunderstanding or confusing. All the time, gauging the audience to
the micro-second is part of that art.
This is not the case with emails. They are truly unidirectional with
the only 'audience participation' being ourselves. We can understand
the irony, the hyperbole, the litotes, etc. because, by definition, we
have a shared understanding with ourself. The recipient of the email,
particularly a stranger, does not necessarily know us or our ways or our
socio-linguistic conventions including the use of particular registers
and codes.
Once the email is sent, once our words have been broadcast, they cannot
be taken back. We can, however, learn from the experience.
So, yes everyone please, think before you send the email: there is
actually another human who will receive it.
Sorry if that sounds too preachy.
With kind regards
Kevin
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