Text Decoder › “We need to talk”
Mixed Signals · No. 36
What does “Quick question when you have a sec 🙂” mean?
From Wren, who just joined your team at work
Quick question when you have a sec 🙂
It could mean
Possible readings
- Something’s wrong with your work
- New, and being friendly
- Nervous, and needing help
What was going on
The story behind this one appears here once the week to play it is over. Play it on Mixed Signals to see it now.
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 three experiments with work emails from people the reader didn’t know, a smiley made the sender seem less competent.
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.
What does “we need to talk” mean?
A text that asks to talk doesn’t say what about, so it fills up with whatever you’re worried about. More like this:
Every message and story in Mixed Signals is made up.