there's no inflection on the internet.. that's why if I say something in an email that may sound bitchy or whathaveyou but I'm actually meaning it in a light-hearted way I'll generally thow a ;) or a
there to make sure it's clear to the reader.
But yeah, sometimes I've gotten email or IM's from people and thought.. 'whoa!' only to ask them about it and find out that I completely misunderstood their intention.
It happens to us all at some point I'm sure
(the trick is not to freak out on someone before it's clear whether their intention was good or bad
)