Miata Mailing List: August 1994, Message #42
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   From: daumda@smtplink.en.wpafb.af.mil
Subject: NAKED DRIVER FINALE
   Date: Tue, 2 Aug 1994 11:38:28 -0400

     TO ALL ON THE MAILING LIST:
     
     
     Thanks for all the personal replies (good or bad).
     
     Regarding my response to the earlier posts about the female who drove 
     her red Miata to work naked to win concert tickets:
     
     I was never mad at any single individual personally.  
          
     It just hit my hot button to think that someone (one of our chapter 
     members, no less) who is not on the Net was being single out for 
     personal judgment;  and that the net was percieved to be used as a 
     forum for assessment of one's behavior rather than remain focused on 
     technical information about inanimate mechanical objects (our Miatas).
          
     Apparently, I misinterpreted what was meant, but with only the printed 
     word to go on (no body language, facial expressions, or tonal 
     inflections), it is easy to misunderstand someone's meaning.
          
     We all should take some extra time to read over our messages several 
     times before we transmit them to make sure the words will not be 
     misconstrued by the reader.  The onus is on the writer.  We know what 
     we mean, but the reader is at a distinct disadvantage without knowing 
     what's in our thoughts. If the message comes through "garbled", it is 
     the writer's fault for not communicating clearly.
          
     Everyone immediately knew how I felt when they read my post.  I was 
     hot, insulted, and disappointed in what I thought was a personal 
     attack. I wrote it that way so you would truly know my feelings, and 
     it worked.  No one was in doubt about how I felt.
          
     If a message is an attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor, then come right 
     out and say it's a joke.  Some on the list do exactly that and there 
     is no misunderstanding about what the message is meant to say.
          
     I appreciate the many responses sent to me to further explain the 
     intended meanings behind your printed messages.
          
     Sorry for getting everyone in a tither.
     
     Cheers,
     
     DRAKE A. DAUM, President
     Miami Valley Miata Club
     PO Box 33503
     Dayton, Ohio 45433-0503