Online communication, without f2f (face to face) contact, requires us to make sure we communicate with friendly, non-threatening voices. A short sarcastic comment, for example, that may seem extremely humorous and witty in a f2f situation could well anger someone in an online situation. Our job is to find real, truthful online voices without offending anyone, ensuring that we are inclusive in our language.
Here are five tips to help you become an effective online communicator:
(1) Begin your posts or emails with a greeting of some type, even if it is just a simple, "Hello everyone," or "Hi!." Remember you are engaging in a conversation. You wouldn't just walk up to someone in the street and start arguing about some topic related to politics or technology. I want you to make your points, of course, but remember we are discussing things with one another, not telling things to each other.
(2) Go ahead and use net talk to assure your reader(s) that you are inclusive. A simple LOL (laugh out loud or lots of laughs), or even a smiley face :-) after a particular point in your argument, can go a long way to convey your appropriate meaning.
(3) Answer people's questions directly. If you do not know the answer, just say so. The point here is you want to discuss issues with one another, not "write" at one another. Consequently, you want to stay focused.
(4) If you have written something you felt was misinterpreted or could be misinterpreted because of "tone," then, by all means, post another response explaining yourself.
(5) Acknowledge you have understood the meaning conveyed by your online colleagues. Go head and write, "I see your point here," or, "You have a great idea." If you change your mind on an issue beause of someone's argument, then tell them about it. Again, we are engaging in discussions and conversations.
The point, again, is to be truthful and real in what we say, knowing that online communication requires us to pay special attention to our approach and tone.