I
f you've ever found yourself pacing around your room trying to decide whether to end a text message with an exclamation point or a period (or maybe no punctuation--edgy!), then you are intimately familiar with the scarcity of signaling in virtual communications.
As Keith Ferrazzi writes for HBR, we feel even more clueless about communication online than in person because of the paucity of contextual information available. Take work, for example: If you are having an all-hands meeting, hiearchy will be represented by the way people order themselves (CEO in the center, interns on the roof). These signals are not available during a conference call--which is probably why you hardly ever hear the folks lurking via phone pop in with a question.
To read the original article: News Flash: Your Emails Are Offending Everybody | Fast Company | Business + Innovation
