[mrow84]

It is only dismissive ironically - the author is not really belittling Slavic languages. Context and intent are important, and it is possible to be unduly sensitive.

I think it is worth expecting readers to expend a small amount of effort to try and assess a writer's intent, so that we might live in a world where people can use colourful language. Teasing someone is not the same as insulting them.

[henriquemaia]

The more I see these types of confusion in forums, the more I get a sense that many people online (the number of online people is too great to make broad assumptions with certainty) simply don’t have good [enough] reading skills.

Moreover, as with any complex subject, there are possibly other limitations working in paralell (but still connected to the level of reading): the emotional state one’s in when it stumbles something in writing. Again, if one lacks a sufficiently mature reading skill, one tends to take things at face value, without making the obvious leap of understanding them within the larger context both of the text itself and the subject matter at hand.

[Slavic]

It's probably quite out of context but I stumbled recently across the news that a left Swiss National Council named "Jonas Fricker" resigned from his position after comparing the transportation of pigs in cars as the Holocaust in one statement. It was obvious what mister Fricker mean't: That it's morally questionable to do harm to pigs. But many (jewish or not) people got frustrated "offline" at face value by his words. Since I mentioned Swiss politicians.. Some right politician "Roger Köppel" was verbally attacking federal president "Simonetta Sommaruga" - as a consequence the federal president and his committee left the federal courtroom. Obviously politics and online forums are not on the same level though - my point is you don't need to be bad in reading in order to feel offended by something (Swiss politicians should know how to read - should)

[gigogkggi]

In a world where pointing out that pure facts such as that Chicago has already had 200 gun homicides this year with its strict gun control laws will get you labelled as a white supremacist, I'd definitely like people to chill out, but alas, no.

[mrow84]

As I said, context is important, and other people might perceive your intent incorrectly, depending on your choice of words, and your timing. People should not give a knee-jerk reaction without some effort to understand you, but if you ever feel you are misunderstood you should simply say so, and clarify what you mean. That way, people won't mistake you for a white supremacist.

[gigogkggi]

How about the 2 downvotes my comment, (immediate parent of this comment of yours) received ? Think there was some bad context? Just proves me right.

[mrow84]

I don't particularly understand why anyone would downvote you, but your comment didn't offer any reason why one would want to point out that Chicago has already had 200 gun homicides this year with its strict gun control laws, nor why that would result in one being labelled a white supremacist.

It is difficult for others to determine your intent without you providing additional context. That you are reporting a fact is immaterial - the question in others' minds will be why you are reporting that fact, because they are trying to understand what you are trying to show with it. As I said in a previous comment, context and intent are important, and if you are unwilling to provide those yourself, you have to accept that people may misunderstand you. Complaining about those misunderstandings is not constructive, you should simply try and clarify your position.