Electronic forums like this lend themselves to that, because it is almost like real-time chat. And trying to type as if one is in a real-time conversation often leads to mistakes and misunderstandings. I have tried to develop habits to overcome that. I try to proofread what I have written before I send it. I also try to read it from the point of view of the other person, just to make sure that I have not included any ambiguities or personal insults. And third, I try to make sure that what I am saying is not missing the point or straying away from the issue of the thread, otherwise, there is a kind of scattering effect that defeats the possibility of progress in rational dialogue or reasoned debate.
-A8