Social awkwardness less frustrating in typed conversation?

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houseofpanda
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12 Jul 2012, 12:12 am

An Aspie's social awkwardness should be easier to manage on, say, an online forum such as WP, wouldn't you think? It would all depend on the Aspie in question, I'd think, but say that person is kind of awkward in person, (better over the years) but understands a lot of NT behavior - a middle-of-the-road Aspie. Would that Aspie PROBABLY be more clearly understood here?

I'm either running into a personal roadblock that has AS written all over it, or someone else is facing their own troubles, loudly and rudely, all up in my face on WP. I read and re-read the messages back and forth and can't figure out what set the other person off. This sort of thing feels like a huge failure to communicate - in a place I'm excitedly trying to communicate within....

I've essentially walked away from the person; that is not the question. I just want to dissect it and understand it better so I don't set someone else off, or run into someone else who is so ready to start name-calling.

I also realize that in this instance, I can't rule that the other person is exceptionally dimwitted or so bad at communication that it affects online etiquette, because I just don't know. It could very well be me.

For you, IS IT GENERALLY EASIER TO COMMUNICATE IN TYPED FORMAT? Understanding that question - for me at least - will answer many more. Thank you for your time.


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KillerWaffles
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12 Jul 2012, 12:39 am

Communication online is easy, because you get to think about what you say without there being a long awkward pause. The only thing difficult online for me is trying to talk to people on Facebook, people I went to school with that I barely know are always messaging me, and I have no idea what I'm supposed to talk about with them.



CyborgUprising
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12 Jul 2012, 12:39 am

Actually, it's harder to type something on a forum. WP in particular is proving to be rather difficult when it comes to communicating my intentions. Every time I make an attempt to be nice, someone (usually a small group of someones) will inevitably read it as an insult or slight of some sort. In person, they can hear your tone of voice and see your body language and perhaps be able to extrapolate from that the desired message.



Verdandi
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12 Jul 2012, 12:58 am

CyborgUprising wrote:
Actually, it's harder to type something on a forum. WP in particular is proving to be rather difficult when it comes to communicating my intentions. Every time I make an attempt to be nice, someone (usually a small group of someones) will inevitably read it as an insult or slight of some sort. In person, they can hear your tone of voice and see your body language and perhaps be able to extrapolate from that the desired message.


Most of the time I perceive you as reasonable (although I think your comments about working and disability in another thread were way off the mark, as I posted in response).

I find written communication significantly easier than verbal. I suspect my writing ability is far above my verbal. Another difficulty that disappears in written communication is that people love to interrupt each other when they assume they know what the other is saying, which constantly derails me from my intended topic.



jetbuilder
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12 Jul 2012, 1:18 am

For me, communicating online, through texts and IM is a 100 times easier! Mainly because I have more time to focus my thoughts. I usually re read what I wrote and edit it if I need to before sending it to further refine my thoughts.


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edgewaters
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12 Jul 2012, 1:27 am

I find the communication itself is easier, but, the social aspects aren't really too much different other than that. My threshold for interaction online is much much higher, but the same threshold is still there and I still have many of the same habits, like withdrawing from a group or circle when things seem to be getting too complicated, shutting down for days at a time, etc



Ai_Ling
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12 Jul 2012, 1:39 am

I think it can be if your talking to someone you just met. Then the online factor takes the in person awkwardness away. But I find, that talking to someone online, sometimes you just cant express as well the message your trying to send. Sometimes we'll just end up freely typing and talking about completely different things.