Saturday 1 October 2011

Kisses

I have just read over some of my blogs and realised that I have ended some of them with a kiss 'x'. This is something of a habit for me as I always end texts and facebook messages with a kiss, regardless of who it is I am messaging. I think I do this because I want to appear likable and it is difficult to get that accross without using facial expessions or 'tone of voice' as you would from a telephone conversation. To me, simple finishing a sentence with a full stop, somehow seems abrupt and unpersonal. However, on reflection, I don't think putting a kiss or a smily face on the end of a professional or academic blog is appropriate. This is something that I think I will have to accept and although I will feel uncomfortable leaving the end of a blog so 'stark' and 'naked', I will be doing so from now on.

3 comments:

  1. This is an interesting point Sarah. I also struggle in some instances to get the feel of what I'm saying across without resorting to smileys and such. I think it's probably just because we're used to having the option of adding emotion to text this way, and therefore electing not to feels almost "cold".
    In some situations I even use the lack of "kiss" to express that I'm angry or annoyed with the recipient! If me and my partner are arguing over text there will reach a point where the kisses vanish, and that's when you know its a true argument!

    It's daft when you think about it. I'm sure in the days before Smileys and kisses the world wasn't filled with hacked off individuals having received a piece of writing seemingly lacking in warmth!

    This seems to be yet another skill we will learn whilst on this course:
    Expressing without Smileys!

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  2. I understand what you are saying about the kisses and making you written words feel warm. Dancers are such passionate people we exude love but in the world outside dance it is cold and stark. With several years in Corporate life behind me you choose your words very carefully when composing anything in writting as these are leagal documents. You had to show strength in your convictions and also be demanding a politically correct way. I generally adopt a factual way of writting professionally and if and when I confront the person I will be myself and deliver what I have to say in a warmer manner..At the end of the day 'It's your own judgement that matters' quote taken from a paragraph in our module handbook Task 1a Professional Profile....I'm adopting this attitude after I've taken on board any comments

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  3. Sarah, I agree that it is difficult to remember what kind of writing is appropriate - especially as everyone on here is so friendly, it's a strange mixture of formal (proving that we can write educationally) and informal (to make ourselves accessible and readable). Perhaps having to express ourselves without such easy aids as 'lol', xxxs and :) will make us all better writers as Liam suggests! I know one of my failings is a tendency to over-use exclamation marks, especially when I can't use these other devices, to show that I am enthusiastic and usually smiling!

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