>Be that as it may, the possibility of misunderstanding is much greater in cyberspace than it is in real life; this must be taken into account, both from the persepctive of the giver and of the receiver.

Add in the factor of different nationalities, some people writing in a language that is not their own, different types of humour and you've got an extra layer.

I remember some time ago I discussed with someone how people in the USA speak so much more "nicely" to their children than we do in Britain. You'll often find British people reaching for the sick bag especially when faced with Barney (don't you just love him???!). The same words can mean different things to different people, without the context of a twinkle in the eye, a lot of humour is lost and wrongly interpreted as anger.