What is the Purpose of Conversation?

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I agree with this.
I get annoyed when people assume that I don't understand something because I don't respond the way they expected.
If I wanted to warn somebody about ice, I would say something like "be careful". If I say I slipped on the Ice I would probably be thinking about myself and my experience. but either way it would be a warning and I wouldn't expect any kind of a particular answer. I would assume the person is intelligent enough to look out for the ice once they know it is there.
I would not like it if people think I am so stupid that they have to be explicit about everything they say.
The way the person the op referred to responded indicated that he was communicating something. Saying "I better be careful" would not have communicated much.

I'm frankly puzzled by the purpose of conversation, beyond the means to planning a get-together or exchanging information. It also makes sense that people like to compliment or comfort the other. But beyond that....

People just love to sit around making conversation! No conversation piece, nothing else, just sitting around talking. I've always been perplexed by this desire of others. There are jigsaw puzzles, board games, books and places to see, but people would prefer to stay put and gab! Not all, of course, but many people I know!

-sorry, double post. please delete

If you are communicating AS to AS, your communication is perfect.

Excerpt from a sheet I have about NT communicating with a person with AS, regarding the "purpose" of communication:

NT: create an emotional connection with the listener; emotional experience is the "meat" of the communication

AS: to share knowledge; information details are the "meat" of the communication.

Logicalmom, how I wish that were so! With some autistics, I've had great, smooth communication, very clear and rationally-oriented and taking possible peculiarities like shyness and stimming into consideration... but on the other hands there've been interactions with people on the spectrum that were really really awkward.

I'm interested in this hseet you mentioned. Could you go into that in more detail, please?

I would guess that they just like human company and socializing. Their brains are hard wired to do that.
Edit: refere to Logicalmom's post. That is a good explanation.

That just seems very strange, because I can't imagine why someone would lie about slipping on ice. Does he usually think people are lying to him about silly things?

You're right - I should not have generalized. I just had the "fact for fact" thing in my head.

I will see if the sheet I have is broadly available and I will post it if it is (huh - four two letter words beginning with "i" - kinda cool). It is from my psychologist. Otherwise, I will just sum it up. I need to go to work first, though.

The purpose of conversation is to bore the begeebus out of each other to pass time until death.

I found this a bit odd too. At first he seemed not to believe me, but when he checked the weather network it said below freezing, so then he accepted it. I would think I'm capable of knowing if there is ice on the ground, especially if I slip on it.

As for all animals on the planet, communication is about survival. If you want to break that down, members of groups of animals communicate with one another to pass information about where food and water is, communicate to mate (hence survival of the species), communicate in some form with another species that will be it's host and there is mutual benefit involved, communicate to warn of danger, communicate about social heirarchy to ensure the strongest leader of the pack, communicate to pass on skills to young, communicate the location of a good lair/den/cave etc. Human conversation is just a more complex/intellectual version of the above.

Hi, I have not forgotten you. The sheet came from my psychologist and I just really want to try to find the source. I am worried about posting without permission if it is not available in the public realm. I want to share, but I want to "do it right". It is fairly short, so I would like to share it in its entirety. I'll figure it out and get back to you.

LM

Thank you for your effort anyway, Logicalmom. I look forward to reading it, however short.
Also, I'm embarrassed about all the typos in my previous post. Don't know what was going on there!