Mixed Signals · No. 1
What does “k. if that’s what you want” mean?
From Sam, your partner, after you said you’d rather stay in on Saturday
k. if that’s what you want
It could mean
- Annoyed, and giving in
- Disappointed, and not saying so
- Busy, and happy to stay in
What was going on
Sam was boarding a plane and typing with one thumb. Staying in sounded great.
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 an experiment, college students rated one-word text replies like “Okay” and “Sure” as less sincere when they ended with a period. The same replies in handwritten notes weren’t affected.
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.