Emotion is different when one writes a story or scholarly work. There, the reader has a lot of context with which to discern emotional content. However, in these short exchanges, often of one or two sentences, it is critical to distinguish mood. Granted, it is sometimes overdone. However, it is important to distinguish between:
"Hey, you're a jerk."
vs.
"Hey, you're a jerk. ;-)"
In the first instance, it is a flamewar ready to happen. In the second, it is obviously someone pretending to disagree but really is not. Sure, someone could go through a lengthy explanation. It would not have the instant impact, and further, the internet is a new form of communication. You'll note it took a few thousand years for written communication to approach the emotional complexity of spoken. Net communication requires its own conventions and tools. It is neither immature nor a sign of intellectual inferiority. It is a sign of change.
Cheers,
Bryan
You are only wretched and unworthy if you choose to be.
