Use of ! to convey sarcasm vs. emphasis?

Question

One, two or even three exclamation marks are often added, especially in e-mail, to convey emphasis to phrases such as _Thanks!_, or _No problem!_. My problem is that in British English, you could also use the exclamation mark to convey sarcasm such that _Thanks!_ could just as well be interpreted as _Thanks a bunch, why on earth did you have to do/say that!_. Is this just a simple regional difference? I make a point of suggesting workmates use the exclamation mark with great caution! (emphasis intended)

Answer 1

The conventional guideline is that exclamation marks are not for formal writing. However, some people like using them to convey friendliness or urgency in the business setting. As with anything else, it is impossible to know the writer's sentiment when he wrote a message or how the reader will feel when receiving a message. "Thanks a lot, Mark!!!" could mean, "You went above a beyond, and I truly appreciate it," or it could mean, "I am rolling my eyes and gritting my teeth as I type this message." It is impossible to know without the additional context of the relationship between the writers and the content of the message. However, I would hope that most readers do not go looking for conflict most of the time, so they would be less likely to assume that sarcasm was the intent, particularly if they had corresponded with the writer before and noticed that his or her style was to use exclamation points generously.

The exclamation can also be used to "soften" a short business message. While I quite like a to-the-point message like "Please send the PowerPoint to the client. Thanks," some people find it brusque and wonder if the sender is upset in some way. They prefer "Please send the PowerPoint to the client. Thanks!" I don't think that the difference is regional, necessarily; I think it is just a personal style.