Generic vs. specific (gendered) adjectives when noun being modified is not stated

[Kelly]

I am running into this problem all the time in dashing off quick comments on the Internet and it's driving me into wordiness, so I'd love some advice.

Let's say that I am leaving a comment about your work. I might write: Bon travail! or I might write simply, Bon!

Travail is masculine, so I don't wonder what to do in that case.

If I am leaving a comment about your song, I might write: Belle chanson!

But what if I just want to say, "Beautiful!" I have seen people write both Beau! and Belle! in such situations... and I can't tell whether that is because in their head, they are modifying a different noun than the one that seems obvious to me (for instance in my head they are discussing/modifying the song but in their head they are discussing/modifying the work, or maybe the playing of instruments, which could be Beau jeu, I believe), or because when no noun is explicitly stated, the gender of the adjective should be masculine. Or perhaps because in the age of the www grammar rules are less strictly observed.

My solution is to write out complete phrases like Belle chanson (rather than to write "Belle," hope people can read my mind that I was complimenting la chanson, and appear an idiot), but I'd love to know which is actually correct—and whether in modern, Internet-quickie language, the rules are more relaxed on this than in proper written French.

Thanks!

[George Hunt]

I wouldn't worry about it unless you think there might be an important  misunderstanding between you and your interlocuters (sometimes a little misunderstanding might even  add to the gaiety of the situation or oblige an added degree of concentration!).

 If you are interested in quick fire conversations I have heard that deaf people converse in (to us) quite extraordinary  ways when they get together in  groups using sign language! I think they can all talk at once and yet be understood.