Ben has become one of my closest online friends. He’s a great guy, and I love chatting with him. When he signs onto Gchat, I usually greet him with “hi!” or “good morning!” He laughs and says hi back, often joking about my enthusiasm. The other day, I asked him just what was so amusing about it, and he said that he actually really likes it. My enthusiastic greetings make him feel like I’m genuinely excited to talk to him, that he’s not just another name on my buddy list. This is true, I am excited to talk to him, but I never realized that something simple like an exclamation point could have such an impact.
As much as we all love the digital world, relationships we form here are admittedly different because how we interact is different too. You can’t always tell someone’s tone from reading their words on your screen. You may not know if they’re lying or telling the truth. Not being able to see faces or hear voices totally changes the game. Add to that the casual typing practices of instant messaging and e-mailing, and it’s easy to see how words could get misinterpreted. My advice: When you’re writing something important, think about how the other person might read it before hitting the send button. And, when you’re on the receiving end of a message, don’t jump to conclusions without considering whether there could have been an alternate meaning.
As for exclamation points, throw one in every once in a while, even if it’s not usually your thing. When you’re talking to people who have hundreds or thousands of Twitter followers, Facebook friends, and blog commenters, sometimes you can’t help but wonder if they actually care about you. Something simple like an exclamation point or a smiley face let’s them know that they’re more than a name on your buddy list, and that means a lot. Bloggers can be friends, too, you just have to make the extra effort.
Disclaimer: If I happen to IM you without an exclamation point, it doesn’t mean I’m not excited to talk to you, so please don’t be offended 
What do you think of the exclamation point? How do you make sure your words are taken the right way online?
{ 7 comments }
Hahah! I spent 2 minutes trying to remember if you had said “!” to me too. Great ideas. The interactions online definitely require more thought than usual because of the lack of tone or sounds and body language that you get from interacting with someone offline.
I think it is a great thing to remember to be more expressive while chatting with people online. Exclamation points can make a big difference when trying to convey surprise or excitement. Cool stuff.
Haha, I hope I did! I realized that now people are going to observe my typing very closely..eek! Thanks for commenting
Thanks for inspiring this post, Ben! I'm glad my exclamation points make you feel special, that's the point (haha insert bad joke here). People are so used to neglecting traditional style rules online, but maybe now they'll think twice about punctuation.
Haha, I hope I did! I realized that now people are going to observe my typing very closely..eek! Thanks for commenting
Thanks for inspiring this post, Ben! I'm glad my exclamation points make you feel special, that's the point (haha insert bad joke here). People are so used to neglecting traditional style rules online, but maybe now they'll think twice about punctuation.
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