[orthecreedence]

There is no difference. "Should" is a word used by people insecure in their beliefs who feel the need to convince others that they're correct solely for the purpose of self-affirmation.

I am able to put forth new ideas into the world without convincing others that my ideas (and by extension myself) are acceptable, and others should be too.

Oddly enough, by actually giving an in-depth explanation of my beliefs and putting forth an idea I believe deserves further exploration, I will no doubt be downvoted anyway. So why would I care about being constructive in a place that rewards popular ideas and punishes unpopular (although possibly valid) ideas?

[tedunangst]

You would have taken the article more seriously if he had simply said "send more email"? By phrasing it as a suggestion and not a command, that indicates a lack of confidence?

[orthecreedence]

Yes, actually. Whenever someone says "You should do X" I immediately have a gut reaction to NOT do X. If it's phrased as "When I'm doing X, my Y increases by 20%" I find that much more palatable.

Telling me I should do something is a lot more annoying to me than presenting the information you're going to tell me anyway, and letting me make my own decision.

[kaybe]

You should have added this to the top comment. ;)