Tone, you couldnt have chose a better word!!! Lets talk about tone, if it isnt too far off the subject matter. Actually, its right on, hang with me.
If you get too far from the music, the tone is the 1st thing to go (after volume decreases). If the radio is too low in the car, the tone becomes muffled, to the point you arent sure if you are hearing a saxiphone, a guitar, or a piano. I have even thought I heard one song, only to be surpised its another when i adjust the volume up & the tone becomes defined. Another set of tone destroying "things happen" when the music is too loud, but lets talk about it being too low.
So the tone of a conversation. If I am sitting across the room from you, talking, looking you in the eye, & we are experiencing each others body language, we are probably at full tone of conversation.
If i call you on the tele, we lost some of that.
A cell phone with drop outs disinigrates it a little more.
It might get worse or better if I write you a letter, depends on how well my writing skills are, depends if I can add some parables & paint you a picture you can see.
My personal observation is, that an internet board probably lacks the most tone. In this thread, we are excited when new evidence comes up, we want to post "fast". We read something, we misunderstand it or just plain make a misktake in reading it, or the writer isnt very savvy at laying our their thoughts properly. It happens.
Yea, great advise, checking our tone.