I sometimes find it a lot easier to help people via email or spodding.. I might be strange but it lets me stay more emotionally detached and think about what I'm saying before I actually send it.

It's useful for me because I've got a very sharp tongue and it's a way of making sure I say what I mean in a more tactful way than I possibly would face to face :)

Yeah, I find that too; but occasionally it works against me as well. In the dim and distant past I ran into some trouble as a result of having relationship conversations over email, because when I had as much time as I liked to redraft things before sending them, I found my reason and conscience tended to prevail over my desires - which is great in some cases, but if you overdo it you end up never getting anything you want! I tended to end up being excessively noble and self-sacrificing, and regretting it later. Now I make a point of trying to get a face-to-face conversation as part of any serious relationship talk, even if circumstances dictate that part of it is done by email.

I ran into some trouble as a result of having relationship conversations over email, because when I had as much time as I liked to redraft things before sending them, I found my reason and conscience tended to prevail over my desires

God yes - I still do that, and not just in the relationship context. I guess I've kind of overlearnt the lesson about not replying to email while you're cross, so I wait until I can bite my tounge and agree with what was said before replying at all - which I suppose avoids lots of arguments, but isn't always the best thing to do.