Assignment #6- (1)

Aoki and Woodruff discuss the idea that ambiguity can sometimes be a useful technique for managing face. In a conversation that ends in a miscommunication (it is somehow interrupted or doesn’t come to a conclusion desired by both parties), everyone is better off if there is a reason for the miscommunication. This reason could be expanded upon and allow one person to justify ending the communication and the other person to accept it, while saving face and avoiding a potentially rude encounter. Ambiguity is necessary for such events, because it allows the parties to construct a reason that is logical and places blame on some external force (for example, the cell phone battery dying). It is especially useful in our modern world, where so many communication systems compete for our limited attention resources. One can’t assume an action is intentional if he or she hasn’t observed it and is forced to assume (or accept) an explanation.

One of my examples is the away message on AIM. It gives me great flexibility in managing potentially unwanted discussions. Sometimes I can make it clear that I’m not home (a message such as “class” or “Wegmans”), but I can also put up something like “leave a message and I’ll get back to you.” Here I’m free to choose who to respond to quickly and who to take my time with, without letting anyone know if I’m actually in front of my computer. In a way, it’s the opposite of a lease- it doesn’t give someone a right to contact me, but I can choose how long I would be expected to respond.

Another example, which is particularly flexible, is email. I often get 20-30 emails a day, and there are often a few which I’d rather not answer right away (I want to formulate an answer carefully because it is in response to a resume, or I just don’t want to reply to that person). So in order to not make myself feel guilty about ignoring the email, I leave it open on my desktop. When I can I go through the open emails and respond as I see fit, perhaps including an explanation for the delay. For an unwanted email I can say that I didn’t see it in my inbox, when really all this time it was open and available for me too read.