(Potential) counterpoint: there are those who sometimes prefer indirect language. E.g. I would prefer if you said "I don't mean to be rude, but in my honest op

(Potential) counterpoint: there are those who sometimes prefer indirect language. E.g. I would prefer if you said "I don't mean to be rude, but in my honest opinion you're looking kind of shabby these days" rather than "You're ugly" (statements exaggerated for emphasis). I think this matters less in the context of the original thread (the "hello" back-and-forth).