It can nurture a sense of connectedness and commitment in people who see that they are actively involved in a discussion, whether with family members, friends, strangers who share certain interests, or coworkers. Unfortunately, many of E-mail's virtues can also be drawbacks. While it is true that electronic communication has a wide variety of forms, each of these has its own requirements that the user must try to be aware of in order to avoid saying something inappropriate or incomprehensible. A variety of forms means a variety of audiences, some of which may include nonnative speakers of English, who may not understand American idioms or allusions to American culture. If disagreements arise, there is usually no one in charge to referee.
Debate can degenerate into a verbal brawl.
Since the participants in an E-mail discussion can be neither seen nor heard, social cues are absent, making it easy for people to make injudicious remarks. It is hard to remember what sort of audience you are addressing when all you can see is text on a screen. There is no one sitting around a table. You cannot see people's clothes. You miss their facial expressions and cannot tell what tone of voice they are using.