army1987 comments on How to get cryocrastinators to actually sign up for cryonics - Less Wrong

19 Post author: JGWeissman 18 August 2012 05:57PM

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Comment author: johnlawrenceaspden 21 August 2012 12:52:26PM 0 points [-]

There's an emotional side-channel face to face, from expressions and body-language. All unconscious until you start to learn how it works, but it's still there. It helps to avoid misunderstandings, talking at cross purposes, accidental offence, etc.

Missing that side channel is why e-mails and posts turn into flame wars, and writing clearly enough and reading carefully enough to avoid all these things makes e-mails take endless time compared with face-to-face. Same with written letters, of course.

Perhaps your friend had some early bad experiences with phone calls and e-mails caused by this, and formed an aversion?