12th October 1999
It's time for everybody's favorite netiquette professor, John Q. Walrustitty. This week's lesson deals with effective online communications. Just because you send an e-mail message doesn't mean that the receiver knows what you're talking about. Worse yet, you may convey the wrong impression. That's why the supreme uploader created emoticons. Ya know, those sideways smilies? Don't be afraid of using them. If a sentence can be misinterpreted, it will be -- unless you qualify it with some type of emotion. Since most of us can't see your pretty smile (or ugly frown) when we're reading your e-mail messages, you need to remember to be expressive (where applicable). Without such qualification, a lighthearted quip could easily offend someone. Write well, write often.