This morning, NPR reported on the United States’ Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s difficulties with helping people understand how to care for family members who are sick with H1N1 flu, while also protecting themselves from illness. The NPR story chronicled the efforts of a mother in Portland, ME who visited the CDC’s website to learn more about treatment and precautions. Her experience is sadly typical of what users often encounter online – messages that do not understand or appreciate the recipient’s perspective run the risk of communicating nothing.