At 11:51 AM 8/17/02 -0400, you wrote:
>>>>
Paul - Your question gets to the heart of the matter - have I written or
spoken the message? Obviously I wrote it - and not just because the
words are typed. Before I sent it, I extensively edited what I had
written (as I have edited this message) - impossible in spoken
conversation. But the message clearly goes beyond writing, and I think
that the difference is more than just the fact that I know that some one
will be reading/listening to what I have to say. The difference is in
the feeling behind the composition; it's as if I have an audience in
front of me and I'm speaking to you - but I have the luxury of editing my
comments before I utter them!
Geoff
CenturyHi
Geoff, CenturyWhat an
interesting e-mail you have written (spoken?). I think that if I were to
go for a PhD in composition (Rhetoric?), this would interest me as a
possible subject for my dissertation: the middle ground of e-mail, chat
rooms, etc., between conversation and formal writing. I wonder if anyone
has done (is doing) this.
CenturyPaul E. Doniger -----
Original Message ----- From:
<Geoff Layton To:
[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, August 17, 2001 10:46 AM
Subject: The Visible Voice
Bob Yates recently posted a response to a thread, and I sent him a
note recalling our wonderful ATEG meeting.
My quandry in beginning my note to him was to describe my feelings
upon seeing his note - "Great to see your e-mail!" didn't seem to
convey how his note brought back the fun we had at the meeting and how
important he was to its success.
I solved the problem with "It's nice to
see your voice again." And
after writing that, I thought I'd see if anyone else on the list -
particularly Pam Dykstra - has had similar thoughts about e-mail
messages. They seem to be a delightful mix of both formal writing and
casual conversation.
On this list, for example, we aren't writing formal papers in our
e-mail messages, yet there is disciplined thought behind the messages;
we aren't truly engaged in conversation, yet there is almost immediate
audience response.
Has anyone written anything formally about the power of e-mail to
evoke a "visible voice" - in other words, the voice of an e-mail
author can be a powerful mix of both oral and written presentation?
Geoff Layton
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