4 ms·

I'm unsure if I interpreted the comment correctly and I want to express that. An unambiguous way to express that is to ask about the thing you find unclear.

• Dylan16807 2y ago
  In my experience when I think I probably understand but I'm not sure, asking for clarification and then waiting screws up the flow of conversation and half the time doesn't get an answer. And more directly asking for clarification in a normal tone is usually just as open to negative interpretation as "Huh?" is. Sentences along the lines of "What do you mean?" can be taken quite badly!
  • pvg 2y ago
    Yelling 'Huh?' at people disrupts the flow of conversation a lot more by being hard to distinguish from something an online jerk would do.
    • Dylan16807 2y ago
      If you interpret anything as yelling it's disruptive. But I'm not sure why that would be the interpretation. It's a short preamble to the next sentence.
      • pvg 2y ago
        The problem is that the 'you' in 'if you interpret' is 'many (probably most) people reading online comments'. That's the point the mod comment is making. The effect counts rather than the intent.
      • tptacek 2y ago
        This happens to me all. the. time. (with me, it's "wait" and "what?" not "huh?"). In a normal speaking conversation, it flows naturally. In writing, it doesn't come across as conversational punctuation so much as a kind of dunk. It might just be something you'll have to be vigilant about.
        • Dylan16807 2y ago
          Alright, I appreciate the detail.