A little slice of heaven for me to call my own. Not all will like what I have to say, but I will say it with honesty.
Emoticons
Posted 11-09-2007 at 08:22 PM by John R
The emoticon celebrated it's 25th birthday on Sept. 25th of this year. The emoticon/smiley is a good thing within the internets. It gives the writer the ability to add feeling to what can be a pretty dry medium. Sarcasm is a great friend of the smiley. Many companies make many dollars selling "premium" smilies to the hapless. It's akin to buying porn. Although, if you have to, you really don't know your way around. "But they're fun and cute, and really let me show how cool I am when posting on bulletin boards", Not.
What gets me though, is those that feel that (almost)every sentence must be punctuated with an(as many as they can squeeze in) emoticon(s). Some even fall victim to actually using them as words. It is quite disturbing to watch this happen, and painful to read. Eventually, I just skip posts from the offender to save my sanity. But, as with any trainwreck, I can't turn away, it's too good not to watch. So, I spiral into a virtual catch-22 which I make every attempt to break away from. Luckily, most times it works.
So, if you think this may be describing you, it's probably true, and you must make every attempt to come back to reality and use actual words. Everyone who reads you will be silently praising you for doing so. If you think this is about you, and you take offense to these words, please feel free to embrace and use this one within your tirade back at me.
What gets me though, is those that feel that (almost)every sentence must be punctuated with an(as many as they can squeeze in) emoticon(s). Some even fall victim to actually using them as words. It is quite disturbing to watch this happen, and painful to read. Eventually, I just skip posts from the offender to save my sanity. But, as with any trainwreck, I can't turn away, it's too good not to watch. So, I spiral into a virtual catch-22 which I make every attempt to break away from. Luckily, most times it works.
So, if you think this may be describing you, it's probably true, and you must make every attempt to come back to reality and use actual words. Everyone who reads you will be silently praising you for doing so. If you think this is about you, and you take offense to these words, please feel free to embrace and use this one within your tirade back at me.
Total Comments 20
Comments
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Thank you thank you thank you. Posts with more emoticons than words give me seizures and I don't read them. I like a sporadic emoticon. Like the F word- there are times and places.Posted 11-10-2007 at 11:31 AM by jdarg
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what about the colored text people?Posted 11-10-2007 at 12:16 PM by Smiling JOe
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Colored text is useful for birthday greetings and stuff that needs eye-catching color- like announcements. But that's should be it in my book. Good ol' black ink is perfect for regular posts.Posted 11-10-2007 at 04:54 PM by jdarg
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Posted 11-11-2007 at 10:18 AM by kurt
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OK- here is an idea- maybe limit the emoticon use in all forums but the lounge. For example, in a political thread, a poster is limited to 3 smilies for the entire post, instead of 3 per line. Over-decorated posting really is annoying when others are trying to be serious, especially when serial posting is occurring on every freakin' thread. It's a message board, not a scrapbook!Posted 11-13-2007 at 07:25 AM by jdarg
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Now, now Jenny, that would be like limiting the air. Some people just need them. Ah, here's one, instead of limiting the use, how about limiting the quantity? Akin to sending someone out into the wild(get it?) with a pack of matches and a 2' length of string. In politics you get :) and
, since, you know, it's like theatre. In real estate you get 
and 
In environmental, 
and 
In the lounge, 
and 
It would kind of keep things on a level playing field. Damn, it hurts just previewing this entry, sorry.Posted 11-13-2007 at 09:10 AM by John R
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You are a rank emoticon amateur- not near enough smilies in your posts, not near as much drivel, and you did not use color. I know you tried hard, but it's just not your style and for that many of us are thankful!
:r ofl:
If you post them in a group, they show up better, huh?Posted 11-13-2007 at 10:27 AM by jdarg
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Putting an emoticon in every sentencewithin a sentence 
before the sentence has even
been completed just makes that sentence 
illegible and 
and doesn't get the offenders point across they are trying to make. 
which in most cases is not intelligible anyway .
In order to read the more important threads, I've resorted to having to place offenders on my ignore list so the fluidity of the thread is not marred, but more importantly I spare myself a cerebral hemmorage.
So if you see an offender, please do not quote them. Readers will definitely know who someone is referring too.Posted 11-14-2007 at 01:15 AM by Mango
Updated 11-14-2007 at 01:45 AM by Mango -
OK- let me speak the cutesie language. I'm probably going to make myself puke.
I
all y'all from the bottom of my heart.
I love to talk politics with hearts and smilies and emoticons breaking up every sentence. I love to see...
Oh hell, never mind.:rofl :
I'm allowed 12 smilies. Did I use them all?
Oh and Mango- you are still the wise woman.Posted 11-14-2007 at 02:16 PM by jdarg
Updated 11-14-2007 at 02:34 PM by jdarg -
John R, Mango, jdarg, you took the words right out of my mouth. Yes, I use them occasionally, but to use them after every other word drives me nuts, and believe you me it doesn't take much these day's to do that. I think I need a vacation!!!!Posted 11-14-2007 at 03:15 PM by kathydwells
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The crux of the issue for me is in a post with a serious type message, wading through numerous and varied smilies is so distracting, that I give up and miss the point. So, for me, smilies can be counterproductive. LightWorker...you really think the smilie debate keeps people from posting? OMG...where are the smilies??? I can't find them here??? Damm.Posted 11-14-2007 at 05:45 PM by Miss Kitty
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Censorship?
Lightworker, I in no way want to censor anyone, ever. I offer my opinion of what I believe is the overuse of emoticons. If like a movie or music that I don't like, i will either walk out, or not go. The movie or music will still play on, that night. If it continues to affect people negatively, the movie will fade to obscurity, and the band will probably break up for lack of audience.
Wouldn't it would suck if there was a substantial post that got ignored because of the poster's prior overuse of emoticons? The audience would have never seen it. I use them and (parentheses, too often, I sometimes think) occasionally, as does every poster on this thread. Like perfume, or lemon juice in your eye, a little goes a long way.Posted 11-14-2007 at 08:05 PM by John R
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Lovin' the blog. Gave it 5 big ol' stars.Posted 11-14-2007 at 08:40 PM by jdarg
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One picture is worth a thousand words
It's been said that a picture can be worth a thousand words, and in some cases that can even be just one emoticon.
The flip side is that words alone can have the greatest impact.
Oh, and Jdarg or is it "sha-dahrd" now, you made me blush, but I think some would call me a wise ar$e too.
Posted 11-15-2007 at 01:39 AM by Mango
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I call Mango a wise ar$e...
Dang...there's that emoticon again. Y'all got me used to using them here, but sometimes I have to remember to plug them in. It's like talking with a new accent. The crazy part is that I don't miss them when I'm writing on other stuff, like keeping up with my kiddos on Facebook, yet I can't spell "fun" or "great" anymore...
You've roont me.Posted 01-02-2008 at 01:26 AM by NoHall
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I really had no idea that people objected so much to the use of emoticons until I read this blog. I had never really thought about it, other than the comments regarding them being used in the political posts. This being the first and only message board that I'm on, I assumed emoticons were de rigeur. Thanks for educating me.Posted 02-10-2008 at 10:55 PM by Beach Runner
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smileys!
this is a wonderful blog John R. sorry so late to this one, just found it.. may I quote you?
absolutely perfect analogy. especially perfume - its something a lot of people like and use sparingly and this is acceptable. but some people like perfume or cologne so much that they overuse it. and it becomes quite offensive.Quote:Like perfume, or lemon juice in your eye, a little goes a long way.
it's a very simple concept. and one that has taken most of us a long time to get (unless you are a pro at message boards). we all have practiced many ways to use our adorable little smileys. we've all overused the heck out of 'em. and we generally get to the point that we finally realize that the real reason for the smiley is to help you to convey your tone or emotion. sometimes our written statement is taken the wrong way by a friend - the smiley really helps convey your meaning.
there is a time and a place for multiple smileys, big fonts, and lots of color.
but if someone chooses to use these in all their posts, it really doesn't offend me nearly as much as too much perfume.
I just wish I had more smiley choices: the finger, and a smoking smiley.Posted 02-11-2008 at 04:49 PM by Tootsie
Updated 02-11-2008 at 05:03 PM by Tootsie -
the finger is waiting for you at the top of this blog. as for the smoking, take your pick:
Posted 02-11-2008 at 10:12 PM by John R
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thank you!
love these smileys. now, to figure out how the heck to use them in a post. how do they get from there to here?Posted 02-12-2008 at 08:00 AM by Tootsie
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you could upload them to a photobucket acct, or use them from mine. or, talk to a certain someone to import them.Posted 02-12-2008 at 08:22 AM by John R
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