Originally posted by: jagec
If we were talking about C++, sure, words have set and unchangeable meanings.
We're talking about English. Meanings change according to common usage. Lots of meaningless words have been given meaning, some words have changed in meaning, and some meaningful words are now lost to us, as culture has shifted. You can never pin a word down 100%--this is not a "pure" language. Why do you think the phrase "reading between the lines" exists? What about allegories, metaphors, imagery? Strict literalists, ironically enough, miss out on most of literature. If you want exact meanings, stick to technical journals and instruction manuals.
Perhaps the OP was vague and misled you, but most of us understood what was actually being said. Communication took place. Just because the tool was imperfect and inexpertly wielded doesn't mean that the intentions of the user has changed. If you can't extract what was intended in a message from the fairly straightforward OP, then I really pity you when you get a job and recieve all manner of cryptic emails from your superiors. You really need to read between the lines in those cases.