# Can we get rid of the "Dubious" smiley? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [January 7, 2012, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752 "2012-01-07T18:35:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/21 "2012-01-08T06:43:14Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > Can we call it “skeptical” instead of “dubious”? I mean, this 😕 is closer to “dubious” than :dubious: > > :dubious: says, “Mm-hmm. Yeah, right. Care to explain?” not “Gee, I dunno.” I see the distinction. Dubious basically means to possess doubtful quality or reputation. Skeptical means to hold doubt or denial. You can doubt something that is dubious. You have a point. “Skeptical” is a better name for the smilie. But 😕 represents confusion to me more than dubiousness. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/22 "2012-01-08T08:27:34Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > _First they came for the Jewish smiley_… I like that in conjunction with the thread in the pit. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/23 "2012-01-08T18:57:01Z")
Smileys are like abortion-- they should be safe, legal and rare. ---
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/24 "2012-01-08T19:28:40Z")
They certainly cause as much controversy as abortion around here… ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/25 "2012-01-08T19:29:29Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Smileys are like abortion-- they should be safe, legal and rare. Well, two out of three isn’t bad. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2012, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/26 "2012-01-08T20:38:36Z")
If anything we need MORE smilies, not fewer. And we definitely a better one than the sleepy blowjob for embarassed :o ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/27 "2012-01-09T01:48:39Z")
The embarrassed smilie is the worst of all time. :o It just blows. The prostate exam smilie could be dropped, I suppose. - :eek: but you need the :dubious: and the :rolleyes: They convey so much. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/28 "2012-01-09T01:57:05Z")
I agree. The dubious and rolleyes effectively convey the intent of the mood. The other ones are rather arbitrary. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/29 "2012-01-09T02:50:14Z")
> [@Myrnalene](#): > > Getting rid of it would just be admitting that people don’t actually give a crap about approaching the world with a healthy skepticism or critical thinking, and that everyone’s just here to post pictures of their cats and talk about TV shows. Maybe that’s what this place is now. YMMV. Personally, I like to talk about cats and post pictures of TV shows. 😛 eta: So, how’s your cat? [Burn!](http://images.dvdsetshop.com/Upload/uploadfiles/burn-notice-6.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/30 "2012-01-09T03:05:37Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > :dubious: > > It is rarely used to good effect, and seems to serve only to amplify the level of snark in any given thread, especially when certain posters use it all the time when asking for a cite (and the first one that asks me for a cite on that gets a purple nurple). Yes, it is often used in a snarky manner. > [@Roland\_Orzabal](#): > > I’m not particularly smiley-happy in my posts, but I loves me some :dubious:. It’s pretty much the distilled essence of the Dope. (And for that matter, I want ;j back, dammit.) > > If we’re going to get rid of any emoticons, I not-so-humbly suggest the “I am a smug santimonious douche with no actual point beyond conveying my own sense of self-superiority” smiley, otherwise known as :rolleyes:. I hate that thing with every ounce of loathing that I can bring myself to dedicate to loathing a smiley, which is not that much all told, but still. If you think about it, dubious is actually a softened rolley-eyes. And the latter is standard issue in message boards. So getting rid of dubious while keeping rolley would tend to increase snark, ironically. Also, Smacky is an improved version of embarrassed. What we need is a better winky, IMHO, one that is a little less corny. I designed this alternative a ways back, but floundered when working out a name for it: [http://wm55.inbox.com/thumbs/2c\_130b92\_3bbb2b38\_oG.gif.thumb](http://wm55.inbox.com/thumbs/2c_130b92_3bbb2b38_oG.gif.thumb) How about ::wellOK:: , ::friendly:: or even ::friend:: ? Full disclosure: tshirts invented dubious and I tweaked the design a little. I shared the concerns of the OP, but oddly its usage turned out better than I expected. Smacky, OTOH, is pure awesome. It conveys, “I am an idiot”, and facilitates retraction: it is an excellent addition to our ignorance-fighting arsenal. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/31 "2012-01-09T03:34:36Z")
If you use the “SDMB inline images” Greasemonkey script, a link to a smiley displays the smiley. > **[Greasemonkey script to view images inline on the SDMB](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=617007)** > > Below is a Greasmonkey script (that can run in Firefox, and Chrome AFAIK) that enables you to view images inline in the posts in which they appear The code: // ==UserScript== // @name SDMB inline images // @namespace Polerius //... ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/32 "2012-01-09T04:19:06Z")
😕 :eek: :rolleyes: :dubious::dubious::dubious: ;)😛 ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/33 "2012-01-09T05:15:00Z")
No, if I’ve learned one thing about this board it’s that it must never change any of its aesthetic, ever. In fact, we should probably close registration to prevent… undesirables from coming in. On second thought just close it to new posts completely. It’s the only way to be sure. ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/34 "2012-01-09T05:25:58Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > It is rarely used to good effect, and seems to serve only to amplify the level of snark in any given thread :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![JBDivmstr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b4bc9f/32.png) [@JBDivmstr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBDivmstr)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 8:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/35 "2012-01-09T08:07:59Z")
> [@Crown\_Prince\_of\_Irony](#): > > :dubious: > > It is rarely used to good effect, and seems to serve only to amplify the level of snark in any given thread, especially when certain posters use it all the time when asking for a cite (and the first one that asks me for a cite on that gets a purple nurple). > > Just my personal opinion - chime in if you agree or disagree. Uhh… Cite, please? :dubious: (What in the hell is a “purple nurple”?!) 😕 > [@Myrnalene](#): > > Oh horrors! Snark and asking for cites at a message board built around the works of Cecil Adams? > > I voted for that smiley when it was submitted for approval because I thought at the time that there wasn’t a smiley that could better illustrate what this place was supposed to be. Getting rid of it would just be admitting that people don’t actually give a crap about approaching the world with a healthy skepticism or critical thinking, and that _ **everyone’s just here to post pictures of their cats and talk about TV shows.** _ Maybe that’s what this place is now. YMMV. (bolding mine) Gosh-a-rooney! I thought that was _ **exactly** _ what this board was all about! :rolleyes: > [@SCSimmons](#): > > Do you really think this is an important issue for the board? :dubious: Do you really think it isn’t? 😕 > [@Ruby](#): > > Sheesh, everyone knows that’s the blowjob smiley. 😉 Well then, somebody that _ **can** _, ought to change it so that the eyes are open, if that’s what it _ **really** is_. 😃 > [@a35362](#): > > Can we call it “skeptical” instead of “dubious”? I mean, this 😕 is closer to “dubious” than :dubious: > > :dubious: says, “Mm-hmm. Yeah, right. Care to explain?” not “Gee, I dunno.” … _ **+1** _ 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![TenderLeaf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/919ad9/32.png) [@TenderLeaf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TenderLeaf)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/36 "2012-01-09T13:21:07Z")
I vote for this [smilie](http://www.wargamer.com/forums/smiley/crazy.gif) too. It’s just too good to leave out 😃 ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/37 "2012-01-09T13:47:10Z")
Add another vote for keeping Mr. Dubious. I like him! I woud also like to see more smilies to play with; they add something to the board. I really like the ‘he’ crazy’ that John DiFool posted. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/38 "2012-01-09T15:00:22Z")
This came up in a debate once. A poster (with kids mind you) claimed to have never experienced a leaky diaper. Not only that, I do believe he also maintained it just didn’t happen to anyone else either except on the rarest of occasions. And I highly suspect it wasnt true but just an attempt to have “data” that would support “his” side of the debate. :dubious: is perfect for that sort of baloney. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/39 "2012-01-09T15:09:51Z")
I think the dubious smiley works not only for the sentiment “I am skeptical of your claim” but also “I am skeptical of the sincerity with which you say that” and even something milder like “I suspect that if you think a little more deeply about what you are saying, you might want to rephrase it.” In other words, all the kinds of situations in which I raise an eyebrow in real life. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2012, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752/40 "2012-01-09T17:58:29Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > Add another vote for keeping Mr. Dubious. I like him! I woud also like to see more smilies to play with; they add something to the board. I really like the ‘he’ crazy’ that John DiFool posted. On the board I linked to above, as part of a forum game I posted a bunch of smilies so as to tell a story-I guess I did too good a job because someone guessed it (The Princess Bride) on the very first try. 🆒 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-we-get-rid-of-the-dubious-smiley/608752.md?page=3)