The Challenge of Interpreting the Printed Word

Trying to interpret what somebody meant in a Facebook comment can often be as challenging as deciding what to eat at a street fair!

I started out this morning having no idea what to kick off the week with, but an IM from a member in one of the forums I'm an administrator for changed all that. She was upset over something somebody said in response to one of her images. While I can empathize, when the other admins read the original comment, they were stunned. It was hardly as harmful or threatening as it had been portrayed. In fact, the four of us read nothing that was threatening.

Well, that got me thinking about the challenges we all face in how we share information. What we write and how it's interpreted is one of our most significant obstacles when it comes to communicating, especially in social media. When writing anything in a comment box or tweet you've got limited space/characters and no help from the tone of your voice or facial expressions to interpret your intent..

But I do have some suggestions:

• Read whatever you're about to share/post a couple of times before posting. I'm not saying to sugar coat anything, just don't be insulted if somebody misses your point and doesn't read what you wrote the way you intended it.
  
• Remember, too often people hide behind the anonymity of their computer screens. They often don't write things they would say to your face.
  
• Get a thicker skin - that's both as a sender and a receiver! Seriously, it's just a comment and often from or to people you don't know or haven't met.
  
• Raise the bar on the standards you use to define trolls! Just because somebody disagrees with you or doesn't like an image you shared doesn't make them a lousy human being.
  
• When somebody does aggravate you, do your best to not react. Let's say it's intentional, if you react badly, then they've won! Just let it go.
  
• When you share images, make comments, etc. remember that anybody can read them and see your photos. None of the venues or forums on Facebook can guarantee any level of confidentiality. So, remember, there are no erasers on the Internet.
  

Being an administrator for any forum is a thankless job. We do it because we love the craft, not because it's raising the value of our bank accounts! When you define something as a problem that needs to be addressed don't get anybody else involved unless it's genuinely "life-threatening." Think of it as a trip to the ER at any hospital - do you need professional help or will a Pepto Bismol and a band-aid solve the problem?

And just to wrap it up - my old buddy Dean Collins said it best - "Beauty is in the eyes of the checkbook holder!" It doesn't matter what anybody's opinion is except your client!