Recently, I posted reply to a gentleman in California who had lost a cat,
was considering a ferret.  I was accused of flaming him.  First, I continue
to stand by every word I posted and defend my opinion.
 
Yet, lets consider this.  When a person posts, voice inflection and tone
are not posted.  We are not all as elequent as Shakespere in committing our
mind's contemplations to paper, and the text may more often that not be
intreperted in other context than what the author was trying to express.
When you meet a person face to face, the spoken words many times do not
really pass the true message, and that true message is then gleened by
voice tone, inflections, body language and all, for instance: You may ask a
passing neighbor "Hi, How are you?" and the neighbor will reply "I'm ok,
thanks" but the body language, voice inflectons, tones and 'other message'
I am writing about is "You are a good neighbor, I speak to you to be
friendly and to acknowledge your presence, this reaffirms my good feelings
for you as a neighbor" and the reply message is really "I feel like ferret
poof, but will get over it and don't want to bore you with my problems,
glad to see ya, feelings are likewise".
 
We seldom know in person those who write here so it is most difficult to
read between the lines to feel the intent of the written word, no matter
what is said.  Text can be taken in many contexts other than the original
intent.
 
Lastly, about ferret poof.... when I first got Byte-me, she got into her
litter box, let go..  and she sounded like she had been fed beans for a
month.  She then got out, grabbed my worn undershorts, took them to a
corner and rolled up into them for a nap.  SHeesh... figgers I would get
a pet like that.... ha!
 
Ya can't help but luv a ferret!
 
Gordon, Byte-me and Nibble-ed
[Posted in FML issue 2880]