Utilising Berlos" model of communication, you can see that the context in which I started the topic was nationality, and patriotism, as expressed in the title of the topic. Recently war topics have posed fairly heated debates between the users of the message board, with people from many different cultures and backgrounds all trying to say their two cents on what is going on in our world at the moment.
I then posed two opposite sides to the argument, questioning the validity of patriotism in both arguments, making sure people knew that I was more interested in their responses rather than sparking another heated debate. I worded my sentence "I"m trying desperately to sit on the fence here, I'm just interested to hear what you guys have to say (again)." carefully so as not to offend anyone in particular. As is common on this particular message board, users often hear a passive voice in their head when they read topics like this one, and tend to reply hastily and passionately. I needed to make certain in their minds that I wasn't out to try to undermine either side of the argument, that I"m just interested in their opinions. .
To aid the friendliness of my topic, I also have my member number, registered date, and my post count, all of which stamp my place as a senior member of the message board. My member number and registered date show my age in relevance to the age of the board, while my post count reflects that I often post and enjoy being around the message board. These attributes help to show to other posters that my time on the message board has clearly been, and still is, enjoyable, and that I often contribute to other people's topics. All these things help to reflect my post and I in a positive light.
The message was made and sent fairly quickly, without a great deal of forethought. Because the message posed is a question, not a great deal is expected of me, as I am requesting responses from other users for my benefit.