The way things can be taken PLEASE READ THIS!

Hello all,
I know that this has come up before, and I think that we can all appreciate that this form of communication has no face or voice, therefore it can sometimes be difficult to get the "feel" of what someone is trying to say or the tone in which it is meant.

Yes, we have emoticons that we can use, but even then the way a post is presented and received can still be open to interpretation. I have seen new members saying that they have decided to leave after "seeing" the way that some threads evolve, and they have been advised to stick around, maybe lurk for a while, before actually leaving.

Please can I ask all of you to do a little experiment? Try saying these words "It's quite nice". A very simple 3 word phrase.

Perhaps imagine someone showing you something, a knitting pattern, a photo, a fabric sample. Maybe a better example would be that you have gone with a friend to help her to choose an outfit for an occasion.

She picks up something that you feel a bit doubtful about, goes to try it on and comes out. It looks better than you thought it would "It's quite nice!"

She chooses something to try that isn't quite the thing, but you don't want to be too hard "It's quite nice"

Same three words, totally different inflection.

Perhaps I'm stating the bleedin' obvious, as the saying goes!

I'll get my coat!