The problem with typing online or phone texting? There is not an easy way to show non-verbal communication. I thrive on non-verbal communication. It shows more about a person that words can not. It is my own jedi mind trick. For Example:
"Being gay is wrong."
Now a lot of people will read that and think many things about me. Most likely that I am an asshole with limited brain cells. Which I may be, just not for that statement. Because what I couldn't say with my hands and tone of voice and sarcastic smirk is lost on these black and white words.
I do belive that statement. I just can't express to what degree. Not without typing a hundered words to explain my single thought. Which I hate. I hate typing long drawn out explanations that are being ripped apart by someone or a number of people that simply missed my main idea. Being bad with grammar and spelling does not help. It takes away from the point being debated.
Which is why people's reactions to my statements always pisses me off. My past rants caused so much heat. I'm afraid to talk about more complicated issues. So now I just sit in my cave writting rants and blogs that will never see the light of day. Waiting for the chance one of my dumbass friends puts down the x-box. Then asks me my ideas on important "big brother" type stuff.
Unfortunately non-verbal communication is pretty much all we have in an online environment, but I don't think it's the route of your problems. You may be able to express yourself better face to face, or at least not get the level of vociferous reactions you get here but that might be down to the fact that the people you talk to in real life are your friends and share your rather limited world view.
You look like you're a big guy, how much of your "non-verbal communication" is actually just physical dominance? Whether it's intentional or subconscious, that won't work here - you'll have to try something else. It's certainly difficult to imagine which exact hand gestures or sarcastic smirk you'd be employing to enhance your statement that "being gay is wrong"
You seem to come across as someone pretty much entrenched in black/white thinking: there doesn't seem to be any middle ground, either someone is with you or against you. You see any opposition as an attack on you rather than on your opinion. It seems to point to what could be a "borderline" personality. Then there's the paranoia.
All in all, it makes debate a little tricky. Of course most of us are aware that opinions aren't facts. Opinions can't be wrong - they can be misguided, horrifically ill-informed but not wrong - they're opinions not facts. Other opinions exist, it doesn't make them wrong.
Warning: The opinions above are those of an anonymous individual on the internet. They are opinions, unless they're facts. They may be ill-informed, out of touch with reality or just plain stupid. They may contain traces of irony. If reading these opinions causes you to be become outraged or you start displaying the symptoms of outrage, stop reading them immediately. If symptoms persist, consult a psychiatrist.
Why not read some stories instead
NEW! Want a quick read for your coffee break? Why not try this... Flash Erotica: Scrubber The thing that online communication requires is context. You can't just say stuff out of context and expect people not to react, should they find it offensive. That's why people use quotes, emoticons and other punctuation tricks. Sarcasm, unfortunately, is lost on the internet without clear context and intent. You could follow your "being gay is wrong" statement up with "...not!" which would go a little way to injecting some humour and sarcasm, but ultimately, unless you know someone and have spoken to them offline or on cam, it seems sarcasm is not a good idea. Maybe if you are frequently sarcastic, you should put that in your profile, so you may be better understood.
It's frustrating isn't it.
I could, for example, take you into parts of my city where you'd get plenty of "non-verbal communication" in response to your statement.
Kidding, of course. We all know you didn't really mean that.
Most people drop loaded statements like that within the context of a conversation, and then follow it up with an emoticon to show it was meant as sarcasm or as a joke. If you are anti-emoticon, then do it like this: Cause as those types usually say, "Being gay is wrong." *smirks and rolls eyes*
or some variation of it. Putting it in quotes means that you, yourself, aren't really saying it. And then add some kind on nonverbal action hint afterward. People will get the gist of it, especially if it's in the context of a conversation they're either having with you or reading through. Yes, it takes a few seconds longer to add a couple of extra words to clarify your intentions, but that's the way it goes with texting and internet communication.
If it's not meant in sarcasm, then yeah, you need to elaborate when issuing a controversial statement in a public domain. I'll bet you'd have to do this even in live social conversations unless you are strictly talking with people that think exactly like you. But as you said - if typing 100 words is overly frustrating, then it's best to keep your rants private. If you're dying to 'talk it out' with people and say you spend your time writing all these rants and blogs, I would assume they're longer than one sentence anyway though, so I find your whole dilemma somewhat... odd.
Some of the people on this site are gifted in their clarity of thought and ability to put that down in writing that others like you and I can only dream of. That's life and we needn't try to compete.
If I have a point I want to put over and am unsure how it is going to read once it is on the screen I type it into a word document, leave it alone for a couple of hours minimum, go back and re-read it and if it still reads okay then and only then copy and paste it up to the site
Also <and here you would benefit if you could see me waving my hands and hear as I change the tone of my voice and adopt a sarcastic smirk> you would probably get away with a little more if you, and I mean this constructively not with any malice or offence, smiled a little and showed your gentler 'nice guy' persona in your avatar picture. Just a thought
Of course I can not prove any of this. Nor do I expect anybody to belive me.
