How do you communicate differently online than in person, if at all? How do you communicate emotion and intent in a purely written medium?

What a question! I try to convey emotions, if necessary, with (oh surprise) words. As I did before the on-line era in my letters to my family abroad, always dreaming on the day the letters would not be necessary because we would finally meet. This is so obvious! Nothing communicates like an encounter in person or a conversation face to face. The other person can hear my voice, read my body language, observe my facial expressions and other circumstances that give a lot of information about me. And I can obtain the same information about the other person. Not just words.

I’ve done a lot of interviews as a journalist for newspapers, and my job was precisely put in written words long conversations face to face, trying to convey those circumstances and emotions. I met very interesting people. Some pretty famous. Some almost unknown. I enjoyed my interviews with artists. Above all with musicians. I loved it. I learned a lot from these people.

Words are powerful. Just with them I’ve made friends on-line, I know I’ll probably never meet. I’m sure and proud of their friendship. I would like to be able to travel around the world just to meet them.

It’s a Text, Text, Text, Text World.