When we use “okay”, “OK” , “kk” or other similar words at work, we may pass on meanings we don’t intend. “OK” is a basic word of acceptance we say out loud to show agreement, but when you use it in digital work spaces such as Slack, or email, you may be communicating negativity or anger.
In the mind of an anxious employee, an “OK” or “okay” can become roof of Trendiness and
Judgement in text-based communication. When the boss answers a deadline request with just“OK”in an email, the two-letter word can suddenly sound indescribable. When a colleague replies to a paragraph-long question with a one letter on Slack, it can send us into an anxious panic, thinking the sender is mad at us. Why does simply saying “okay” or any of its other forms, such as the briefer “kay“, or “ kk”, not always sound OK online? One expert has an answer.
Gretchen Mcculloch, an Internet linguist and author of the upcoming book Because Internet, said OK is not born to be rude but something else matters. “Anything that’s shorter can sound rude, and anything that’s longer can sound more polite, ”Mcculloch said. This may be one subconscious reason that many of us add our Oks with pleasant expression like OK, great! ”or OK, sounds good “to express that we come in peace. Those extra words can make all the difference. ” Having two things there, listeners may feel you have gone through a bit of an extra effort and it is that extra effort that makes some-thing more polite Mcculloch said, “These real unnoticeable things are often what our vague (模糊的) social impressions are made out of.”
【小题1】Which of the following idea may the writer support?| A．Be careful using “OK ”in online work-place communication. |
| B．The meaning of OK “varies from person to person. |
| C．Try to avoid using”OK “in group communication. |
| D．OK ”may have rich meanings in the work-place. |
| A．OK“sometimes shows satisfaction with work. |
| B．OK”“in written form is hard to express feelings. |
| C．It’s best to use”OK“less when facing unfamiliar people. |
| D．Simply replying with “OK” may cause misunderstandings at work. |
| A．The length of it |
| B．The ending words. |
| C．the response speed. |
| D．The pronunciation of it. |
| A．Express more positive feelings instead of only saying OK |
| B．Take extra time to practice saying OK in a pleasant way |
| C．Add extra words based on the characters of the listeners |
| D．Find some more polite words to replace it. |
