emoticons

[Asset]

Interesting piece on radio quattro just now about emoticons.

It is 25 years ago today that the original emoticon was formulated, by a chap in a university somewhere in the states. He developed it for use on the university intranet notice board, where people had discussions that got quite heated and people took things the wrong way etc, (obvious parallels).

Then a chap from (I think) the Gaurdian came on to say how much he didn't like them as the written word had been doing fine and if you can't get the jist of your writings across then you are not writing well enough etc etc.

I don't use them myself but am fairly ambivalent about their usage. However I am not keen on the usage of them to 'make light' of an offensive comment.

Any one care to discuss or will this slip off the bottom of the page in a flash.(?)

>:D

[SeanMacGabhann]

the written word isn't something everyone is good at and I think people have cottoned on that a "dry" email or post can come across a bit stridently so emoticons can help them

Of course that means people who are offensive try an abuse that but we can tell the difference I think

I use them, but try not to - far better to choose words carefully

[Annasfield]

>:D

[OutOfFocus]

I find them extremely useful - and on a board like this when they are rendered graphically :) so they are likely to be understood.

But the problem in email is I don't always know if they will be understood by the reader. So I would tend to use "!" or similar.

The written word may have got by without it, but that is carefully crafted and considered- not a quickly dashed off email.

[Keef]

Exactly right Andrew, emails and texts have made us all in a rush to say what we want to say, and emoticons make it easier to get your meaning across. It's just snobbery to suggest that someone who choses to use one is not able to express themselves through words.

I think they're fun particularly :-S , :)-D and >:D<

I got burnt once when I sent a "dry" email to a good female friend of mine who had just postponed a lunch date. I said something like "you could break a mans heart letting him down like that" and I could hear myself saying it in the way it was meant.

I later got a very long email from my friend "letting me down gently"... All rather embarrasing, and I have since been a big believer in ";-)"

I'm still good friends with said lady by the way, and we've since laughed about it.

[Asset]

there you see, if I had got an email like that from a good, male friend I'm fairly sure I would not have taken it to mean that the friend was harbouring a deep, unrequited love for me without an emoticon to tell me that it was a joke.

I was going to put in my original post that this was not meant to be a one upmanship type of discussion 'oh people who use them are inferior to those who don't etc etc' so it wouldn't boil down to s snob, class war discussion.

happy 20th birthday the emoticon!

here's the Guardian article

[SimonM]

The trouble with emoticons is that unless you use them many people these days will fail to recognise you are being ironic or droll or whatever...

[Keef]

My snobbery comment was aimed at the fella from the article, no one on here.

Maybe they've become so common now, that they're expected, so if you don't use one people will take you seriously because they think "if he was joking, he would have thrown a ;-) on the end of that".

[SimonM]

Is there an echo in here??

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:))

[Asset]

I quite like the not knowing..

[downsouth]

(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?)(?) (!):))

[SeanMacGabhann]

"the not knowing is easy...

and the suspectin, that's ok

just don't tell me for certain..."

[Annasfield]

I used to be indecisive but now I'm just not sure...... :-S

[*Bob*]

Emoticons. I despair.

I'm aware that 90% of the people love sprinkling them liberally around their postings, so I'll try not to go-off on one. But really. Come on. They're for dummies;-). They're no better than idiotic abbreviated text messages or putting a hundred exclamation marks after every sentence!!!!!!!

I know most people here use them lazily (and more often than not just because everybody else does) - so naturally you're all forgiven. But they're still for dummies.

[Brendan]

I find them an unnecessary hindrance to my flowing, majestic prose. B)

[Keef]

*Bob* Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> They're no better than idiotic abbreviated text messages or putting a hundred

> exclamation marks after every sentence!!!!!!!

I can be rather guilty of the exclamation mark thing.

However, they are not as annoying as text language "alrt m8, c u in pb l8r" What? I never use text speak, because I find it hard enough to read, and by the time I've worked out what I want to write, I may as well just write the word.

[Ant]

ZOMG!!!!!1!!!one! ROLF MAYO uz are all not spekin teh intarnets proparly. :-S

[*Bob*]

Whenever I see a posting followed by lots of exclamation marks, the mental image of the author that I have is that of Stu "I could crush a grape" Francis - from Crackerjack.

Don't worry, Keef. I've seen pictures of you and I know there isn't much of a resemblance.

[RosieH]

I'd always thought they were on a par with dotting your i with a luv heart, and frankly despised them. I have come to see the error of my ways (particularly in light of Keef's friend's misunderstanding - lummy!!!)

but I still can't quite bring myself to go on a date with a man who uses them - am I missing out?

[Brendan]

;-)

[RosieH]

point taken

[*Bob*]

point illustrated

[*Bob*]

sorry!!!!!! i meant: point illustrated;-)