On Tue, 21 Apr 2009 11:32:11 -0400, Warp wrote:

>> Given how often miscommunication seems to happen and upset people, and
>> given how often you complain that people aren't taking things the way
>> you meant, I'm trying to offer assistance with communicating clearly.
>> My apologies if this offended you.
> 
>   Well, I'll try to remember to use "rhetorical" rather than "sarcastic"
> in the future. If playing with words is less likely to make people
> interpret things in the worst possible way, it could be worth the
> effort.

You've rather completely missed the point that the words have two 
entirely different meanings.

Clear communication using the proper words to convey meaning is important 
if you want to be understood or to not be misunderstood.  You can't just 
expect that everyone is going to read things the precise way you meant 
them if you use imprecise words.

You also can't expect then for people to be happy and cheery when you 
complain that they've misunderstood what you said and accuse them of 
intentionally reading things you write "in the worst possible way" (ie, 
apparently not the way you intended it).

If a writer doesn't want to be misunderstood, then it's the writer's 
responsibility to write clearly enough, and to accept when they haven't 
written clearly enough to be understood that they could have chosen a 
better way to express themselves.

Jim

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