I think the idea of communicating with people only or almost only via email and/or facebook, etc is abhorrent. So much important information is lost, so much that mere words can't communicate. Yet, if I'm saying words are futile, why do I like to read so much? Is that not a contradiction?

I don't think so. What is often so beautiful about a well written book is the unknown that it is left to the reader to fill in with their own imaginations. When a book is turned into a movie I almost always prefer the book in part, for this reason.

Having a converstation with a real live human being is not like reading a book. You're not remotely supposed to fill in the blanks with whatever fantastic craziness you can come up with. Unless, I suppose, you've just called a phonesex number. Short of that, with a real live human being you should be trying to get rid of the blanks with as much real (and situationally relevant) information as possible.

To not do so shows a lack of consideration. It shows that you don't really care whether or not you successfully communicate with them. You don't really care what they think. Or for that matter if they even really understand you. It shows that at best, the correspondence amounts to some perverted phone sex like interaction.

Unknowns in stories often greatly improve the story. Unknowns in actual real human interactions are generally not so good.