Mixed Signals · No. 6
What does “Can you call me when you get a sec?” mean?
From Casey, a friend, at 9:40 on a weeknight
Can you call me when you get a sec?
It could mean
- Something’s wrong
- Good news to share
- Upset with you, and wanting to talk
What was going on
Casey got the job they’d interviewed for and wanted you to be the first to know.
This message and its story are made up. Real messages don’t come with the story.Ask before you answer
Text loses tone, so a short message can read harsher, or softer, than it was meant. Before you answer, ask what they meant. That’s Check before assuming, one of the principles Porcupine is built on.
What research says
In five experiments, people read others’ feelings slightly more accurately when they could only hear them than when they could also see them, or could only see them.
Got a real text like this? Run a Quills Check.
Paste it. I’ll show you a few ways it could be read, and what you could ask instead of guessing. Writing your own? Switch to “I’m sending it” and I’ll show you if the quills are up.
The Quills Check needs JavaScript. Please turn it on and reload the page.
Find the words with Porcupine
The Quills Check helps with one text. Porcupine helps with the whole conversation, from what you ask through their reply. It’s coming soon, and we’ll let you know when it’s ready.
Every message and story in Mixed Signals is made up.