About vocal communication

[Akane Nacht]

10 hours ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

I present this topic for discussion, because I've had this topic come up in some of the material I've been asked to read for my RL job:

Do you think the reason some people prefer vocal communication over text chat (in Second Life or whatever) because you can more accurately portray emotions such as sarcasm through tone of voice? If so, what can text chatters do to better display emotion through their written words?

I think text chat is indeed limited compared to voice because there is not a ready-made way to indicate tone and emotion through it than in voice. I feel this is indeed the reason why some prefer voice over text. However, I've heard of things such as emoticons, emojis, and tone indicators that can help text chatters portray emotion.

Interesting topic. I think there are a multitude of reasons why an individual would prefer one over the other, but here are some of my own observations:

- It is indeed hard to get a sense for nuances of speech via text, however, when I have known someone for a number of years I get to know their "text-tone of voice" and can tell when they "sound" sad or jubilant or stressed out. Sometimes i get it wrong, but then sometimes I get it wrong with verbal cues too. With complete strangers it's more difficult, so time (to get to know the person) is the big factor.

- Voice has a few confounding variables, especially accents or regional vocab, or just habits of communication. For example, laughing, in some East Asian cultures, can be nervousness not humour or mockery, but it may be hard for other cultures to pick up on that. Other example, some Americans can sound very loud and aggressive, when they are really only trying to be friendly. Just a couple of examples I have encountered.

- Some people just don't have a spoken emotive tone (autistic friends come to mind) and text is more comfortable and expressive/precise for some of them. 

Most of the people I have befriended online are comfortable in text, or text/voice in equal levels of comfort. I tend towards text because my home environment needs some degree of quiet (I work from home) and because I don't really want to showcase my nasal voice! The other aspect is some conversations are asynchronous, and it is understood that an immediate reply is not expected.

[Sid Nagy]

I'm non native in English. I can get around in text chat, because I have just that tiny extra time to spend on the text.
In voice, people tend to have accents that are hard to follow, not only the non native ones. And there is no possibility to read something back to translate if needed.

Now if everybody would talk with a nice mic technique in BBC English.....
Because that isn't the case,  for me it is typing or nothing in SL.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Sid Nagy

[Lindal Kidd]

11 hours ago, Rowan Amore said:

I've been excepted by 99.9% of people over the years

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wujVMIYzYXg

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

hint: accept it.

[Theresa Tennyson]

16 hours ago, entity0x said:

 

Yes, and text can be a prison now as on Discord, unlike video and chat (unless recorded) can be a LIVE and UNRECORDED conversation, Discord and any other text based chat system today never goes away and people can and will use everything that you say against you, with no context.

This is where text fails, because people can pick and choose and cherry pick phrases from people they don't like and misrepresent them and people miss the entire context of the conversation.

But with text you can go back and find the context.

Which might end up with people digging an even deeper hole for themselves.

[Rowan Amore]

30 minutes ago, Lindal Kidd said:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wujVMIYzYXg

I do not think that word means what you think it means.

hint: accept it.

Thanks!  I do know the difference between them,  Just one of those days.  Edited to correct.  

"I've had no issue except for a few people."

[InnerCity Elf]

I prefer text in nearly any situation, be it in SL, my job, or in private matters (remotely, that is, I will talk to people face to face instead of passing a notebook and pen forth and back ;)).

But I'll consider voice options if the other person's reason to use voice kind of trumps my preference of text, like any kind of disability that makes text no or a bad option for them.

I don't think that voice communication necessarily or inherently is better/less limited for conveying emotion, tone, and such. Maybe if all participants are both native or near-native speakers, on about the same level of language skills, cultural and educational background, age, and such factors. Even then, some people do express emotions rather when writing someone a letter than they would chatting.

What could text chatters do better... Well, I guess using emoji is one thing (but I seem to remember that, for instance, the laughing smiley emoji is known to at least potentially cause distress due to it's ambiguity/ferlings of the "recipients"), and, of course, wording, maybe reading over it another time and thinking about how the other person may perceive it, before sending it. Whether that's desirable or not so much, depends on the situation. You may gain less interpretation issues, but lose spontaneity and humourous banter, for example.

 

 

[Phil Deakins]

For me, voice chat is always preferable, and especially when something needs explaining to someone, although even voice doesn't always work, as in this case...

I used to sell a temp rezzer, and buyers often needed some explanation on using it. One time, a person, who I already knew in SL, bought it and needed it explained a little. I used voice which she was ok with. I think she typed. We were both native English-speakers so it shouldn't be difficult. I needed her to right click on it but, try as a might, I could not get her to do that. No matter how I explained it, she could not grasp the concept of a right click. I kid you not when I say that I gave up after at least 20 minutes of trying to get her to right click it. At one point she said, "You must think I'm really stupid". I didn't respond to that lol.

On the whole though, for me, voice is always preferable, solely because it's easier and quicker than typing. As someone on the first page said, I'm lazy 🙄

Edited April 18, 2022 by Phil Deakins

[Sid Nagy]

Have you ever heard the British darter Dave Chisnall give an interview before or after a match?
I know it must be some kind of English and probably it is about darts, but I never have a clue what he says.
That's why I love text.
 

Edited April 18, 2022 by Sid Nagy

[Luna Bliss]

16 minutes ago, Sid Nagy said:

Have you ever heard the British darter Dave Chisnall give an interview before or after a match?
I know it must be some kind of English and probably it is about darts, but I never have a clue what he says.
That's why I love text.
 

lol well English is my native language and for the life of me I can't understand people from the north of England. In movies I've listened to an entire paragraph before and not comprehended a word of it!

[Coffee Pancake]

I've spent most of my life trying to shrug off my pretty thick accent, tends to only come out now on the phone to my mother ... and my SO looks at me like I'm speaking in tongues.

[Orwar]

3 hours ago, Meccha Suki said:

(remotely, that is, I will talk to people face to face instead of passing a notebook and pen forth and back ;)).

   People can't read my cursive when I write in a hurry. Heck, I can't write my cursive when I write in a hurry. But otherwise, I'd so do that!

[Ren Toxx]

I have no problem with how others choose to talk, as long as they have no problem with *my* choice, either. Unfortunately, it’s quite frequent that others will show their arrogance by thinking *their* choice is the only one that makes sense, for everyone.

[Silent Mistwalker]

3 minutes ago, Orwar said:

   People can't read my cursive when I write in a hurry. Heck, I can't write my cursive when I write in a hurry. But otherwise, I'd so do that!

Just do what draftsmen and engineers and architects do and write what would today be called all caps. Architectural Hand Lettering.

 

[colleen Criss]

22 hours ago, Gopi Passiflora said:

I present this topic for discussion, because I've had this topic come up in some of the material I've been asked to read for my RL job:

Do you think the reason some people prefer vocal communication over text chat (in Second Life or whatever) because you can more accurately portray emotions such as sarcasm through tone of voice? If so, what can text chatters do to better display emotion through their written words?

I think text chat is indeed limited compared to voice because there is not a ready-made way to indicate tone and emotion through it than in voice. I feel this is indeed the reason why some prefer voice over text. However, I've heard of things such as emoticons, emojis, and tone indicators that can help text chatters portray emotion.

This topic has been presented on this forum in so many ways I can't believe it serves any purpose any purpose any more. It's so rehashed. Although a wandering newbie will know what's up with thoughts on voice chat in SL.

For me it's the same as any discussion on verified voice. It' s like nails on a chalk board ! Maybe I need a forum break.

[Fluffy Sharkfin]

7 minutes ago, colleen Criss said:

This topic has been presented on this forum in so many ways I can't believe it serves any purpose any purpose any more. It's so rehashed. Although a wandering newbie will know what's up with thoughts on voice chat in SL.

For me it's the same as any discussion on verified voice. It' s like nails on a chalk board ! Maybe I need a forum break.

The thread is about peoples prefered method of communication, other than one brief reference to something somebody posted in a different thread nobody has brought up the topic of "verified voice" except you.

[Sid Nagy]

1 hour ago, colleen Criss said:

This topic has been presented on this forum in so many ways I can't believe it serves any purpose any purpose any more. It's so rehashed. Although a wandering newbie will know what's up with thoughts on voice chat in SL.

For me it's the same as any discussion on verified voice. It' s like nails on a chalk board ! Maybe I need a forum break.

And if a new thread isn't started about the same old story, and somebody uses one of the old threads to add their 2 cents, then we are all over the place because of necro posting.
We can't have both, but I can ignore threads that are obviously not of my interest (any more). And I do that frequently.

Edited April 18, 2022 by Sid Nagy

[Kathlen Onyx]

2 hours ago, colleen Criss said:

This topic has been presented on this forum in so many ways I can't believe it serves any purpose any purpose any more.

It serves the purpose of the OP or they wouldn't have posted it. 

[Madelaine McMasters]

On 4/17/2022 at 5:20 PM, Coffee Pancake said:

Have you tried touching grass?

I like to lay down in it and look up at the clouds, which results in a sky high contact high.

[Coffee Pancake]

8 minutes ago, Madelaine McMasters said:

I like to lay down in it and look up at the clouds, which results in a sky high contact high.

and pockets full of ants, don't forget the ants !

[Lindal Kidd]

4 minutes ago, Coffee Pancake said:

and pockets full of ants, don't forget the ants !

Ants on the plants = ants in the pants!

[colleen Criss]

3 hours ago, Fluffy Sharkfin said:

The thread is about peoples preferred method of communication, other than one brief reference to something somebody posted in a different thread nobody has brought up the topic of "verified voice" except you.

Thank you for your observation.

[colleen Criss]

1 hour ago, Sam1 Bellisserian said:

It serves the purpose of the OP or they wouldn't have posted it. 

A forum search would have answered them in several threads.

[colleen Criss]

1 hour ago, Sid Nagy said:

And if a new thread isn't started about the same old story, and somebody uses one of the old threads to add their 2 cents, then we are all over the place because of necro posting.
We can't have both, but I can ignore threads that are obviously not of my interest (any more). And I do that frequently.

Glad you mention the necro posts. I was reading threads last week and there was one I was going to post to but I'm allergic to picks , rakes and fire.

[Kathlen Onyx]

26 minutes ago, colleen Criss said:

A forum search would have answered them in several threads.

Of course it would have but there are also different people on the forum than might have been when it was answered. Current perspectives should always be welcomed, don't you agree?

[Bree Giffen]

On 4/17/2022 at 1:56 PM, Gopi Passiflora said:

Do you think the reason some people prefer vocal communication over text chat (in Second Life or whatever) because you can more accurately portray emotions such as sarcasm through tone of voice? If so, what can text chatters do to better display emotion through their written words?

I don't think the primary reason why people use voice in SL is because they can portray their emotions better. Therefore, it's not important for a text chatter to better display emotion in their written words. I believe people prefer vocal chat because they can't type fast or they are simply used to picking up the phone and talking.