According to recent research published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, I’ve only a 50-50 chance of ascertaining the tone of any e-mail message. The study also shows that people think they’ve correctly interpreted the tone of e-mails they receive 90 percent of the time.
From Wired News, which has details.
Key quote: “‘People often think the tone or emotion in their messages is obvious because they “hear” the tone they intend in their head as they write….'”
Of course, not many of you get to discuss you emails from the witness chair in federal court, as NewMexiKen has. That’s always fun.