Mixed Signals · No. 17
What does “Can we talk on the phone later today?” mean?
From Marley, your manager, after a tense team meeting
Can we talk on the phone later today?
It could mean
- You’re in trouble
- Wanting to make things right
- Something routine to go over
What was going on
Marley wanted to apologize for cutting you off in the meeting, and wanted to do it by voice, not in a text.
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 a field experiment and lab studies, people expected a phone call to feel more awkward than writing. It wasn’t: talking by voice built a stronger connection than email or text chat, with no more awkwardness.
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.
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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.