Community series: On online communication

In the first part of a series on online communication, Richard "RichiH" Hartmann discusses the challenges and nuances of written communication in the open-source community, emphasizing the importance of assuming good faith to avoid misunderstandings. The lack of social cues in written exchanges can lead to misinterpretations that escalate into disputes. Hartmann, drawing on his experience with freenode, notes that misunderstandings often remain hidden until they become disputes, and suggests that knowing each other well through in-person meetings or video calls can help provide context to online interactions. Cultural differences, such as varying customs around greetings, further complicate communication, and Hartmann advises that creating shared documents for persisting information can uncover potential points of contention. He also highlights the value of social calls and informal interactions in fostering better understanding, while noting that the next entry in the series will focus on effective question-asking techniques.

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