Date: Fri, 24 Oct 1997 12:15:11 -0400

From: Ron Butters RonButters[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM

Subject: "How are you doing?"



"How are you doing?" does have some kind of primary communicative function it

seems to me, i.e., it means something like 'I am willing to have a

conversation with you and am soliciting your first conversational move'. Of

course, it is not always sincere.