January 22, 2003
Grouchy replies
From time to time I get flak from folks for posting critical commentary. They'd apparently prefer warm and fuzzy replies from a crowd of simpering sycophants. Well, look elsewhere as I'm not cut from that cloth. My replies tend to focus on the facts, as I see them of course, and don't waste time on dancing around the point. If it's shit, that's what I'll call it.
That said, I'm not without empathy. The text medium, however, doesn't appeal to my sensibilities on how I'd reply to things in person. Perhaps it's having been raised the son of an attorney, or maybe I'm just a curmudgeon. There's certainly value in using different response methods and some do a much better job at it.
So when you read one of my replies, don't take it personally. Look at it from factual point of view not just the personal. That's the spirit in which I post most replies. Reading them in that same spirit will often save you from getting the wrong impression. If that still doesn't make it clear, ask to speak with me on the phone. I've generally found a few minutes talking with people works wonders in comparison to text messages. There's a certain feeling that a genuine conversation conveys that e-mail and weblogging just doesn't possess. Or if it does, it's not a skill I've mastered. In any case, real people having real conversations works wonders for me.
