4 ms·
Weird, I definitely suck at turn taking, but I love phone calls. I'd much rather talk than email/SMS/IM/whatever. In my mind those have even fewer social cues.
by andrewvc 17y ago
Weird,
I definitely suck at turn taking, but I love phone calls. I'd much rather talk than email/SMS/IM/whatever. In my mind those have even fewer social cues.
- zyb09 17y agoI just use IM for quick arranging or linking stuff around. Can't understand how people can chitchat on IM with each other for hours. You never now if that last message was supposed to be funny or serious or maybe even ironic? Then you don't know if your conversation partner thought your last message was serious, while you meant it to be funny...and it goes on an on and on... just can't do it. Don't have any problems with normal conversations and phone calls though.
- lmkg 17y agoThat's what emoticons are for: text-based representation of vocal tone.
- andrewvc 17y agoTrue, but I feel that using emoticons in business is seen unprofessional, which is a shame because they can be very useful.
- billybob 17y agoI find that a lot of what is seen as "professional" or "unprofessional" is dumb. I'd much rather do business with a human being who doesn't mind being a little silly sometimes than not. I do think it's unprofessional to say things that could offend people, because its inconsiderate. But emoticons? Loosen up, I say.
- hoggle 17y agoI am utterly afraid of phone calls. I act like it's no problem though.
- sketerpot 17y agoLikewise. I don't think I've ever had a phone conversation where I wasn't constantly feeling intensely awkward, even with friends who I have no problem talking with in person.
- ajtaylor 17y agoI really dislike making phone calls. I don't have time to perfect my thoughts as I do when writing them out. I forget questions I wanted to ask. And I often talk too fast and thus stumble over my words. Email is so much better.
- spython 17y agoI often make a list of things I want to talk about in my head, before making a phone call; often I also think of a nice introduction and phrase the first question - after that it just gets easier. Singing or making music, especially jam sessions, helps a lot in finding the right rhythm in speaking.
- zupatol 17y agoI think it's an advantage of the phone that there are less visual cues, so you can concentrate on auditive cues. A non-geek on the phone is somewhat in the situation of a geek, because he is aware of less non-verbal signals. He will tend to compensate with more auditive signals and clearer indications in the content of what is said. Fewer signals with more significance are easier to see for the geek. At least that's what I used to think when face o face conversations were still a big problem for me, but phone conversations felt easier. It seems I have become much less of a geek over the years.