# My professor used a :) in a email to the class **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 29, 2010, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924 "2010-08-29T23:03:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ruby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/13edae/32.png) [@Ruby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/21 "2010-08-30T03:34:36Z")
What about those weirdos that type if backwards… (: Do they have teh dyslexia? Suxxrz. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/22 "2010-08-30T03:36:04Z")
One of my professors types \ into her e-mails. Not an emoticon, just “\”. I think it’s cute. Weird, but cute. Edit: She also usually adds it after things that are not all that funny, like “The meeting is at 2:00 tomorrow \.” ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/23 "2010-08-30T03:53:12Z")
> [@Ruby](#): > > What about those weirdos that type if backwards… > > (: > > Do they have teh dyslexia? Suxxrz. Back in the day, that was called a left-handed smiley, and most of my left handed friends used it, just like I always used a smiley with glasses: 🕶 ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/24 "2010-08-30T04:34:38Z")
Ask him to tell you his opinion of Jurassic Park using emoticons. oh hell, my sig file that I never use is appropriate for once! ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/25 "2010-08-30T06:45:07Z")
I am what you would most certainly consider an “old teacher” and I would never use any smilies in an email. I just personally dislike them - someone will tell you to “fuck off and die” and then add a smilie face, as if that makes it all OK. Just as inane is when someone sympathizes with the fact that everyone you know died in some disaster, “sorry to hear everyone died!” and then puts a little sad face at the end. If you can write well, you don’t need to draw a picture for me to understand your meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Lust4Life](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lust4Life](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lust4Life)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/26 "2010-08-30T09:37:32Z")
I think that **PSXer** is very young for their age and should learn to lighten up. When you have his equivilence in experience and knowledge then you might think about judging him. Until then you are being at best somewhat presumtive, at the worst you’re showing the arrogance of ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![elninost0rm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ed655f/32.png) [@elninost0rm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elninost0rm)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/27 "2010-08-30T13:25:55Z")
My 62 year old father uses them when he e-mails me from work. What’s the big deal? Yeesh. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/28 "2010-08-30T14:15:55Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > > [@Ruby](#): > > > > What about those weirdos that type if backwards… > > > > (: > > > > Do they have teh dyslexia? Suxxrz. > > Back in the day, that was called a left-handed smiley, and most of my left handed friends used it, just like I always used a smiley with glasses: 🕶 Smiley with glasses? Nonsense. That’s clearly a Lone Ranger smiley. ---
**Author:** ![wipetheclock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b19c9b/32.png) [@wipetheclock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wipetheclock)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/29 "2010-08-30T15:09:17Z")
Not a big deal. I would find it strange if the professor used smilies every sentence or something. I had a professor last semester who put a smilie face next to my grade on a test. That was odd. What am I, a first grader? ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/30 "2010-08-30T15:20:54Z")
No problem from a professor. I did find it odd that a coworker used them in email replies to me at my summer job, but then again he was usually helping me sort out the rather bizarre behaviour of a less-than-well-designed database software, and so sarcastic comments about it and convoluted explanations were the norm and smilies kind of suited the conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/31 "2010-08-30T15:47:14Z")
Who do you think invented digital emoticons? It was us old guys back in the 80s. Why shouldn’t we continue to use them as we have for 28 years? “Digital forms of emoticons on the Internet were included in a proposal by Scott Fahlman in a message on 19 September 1982.” From [https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Emoticon](https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Emoticon) ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/32 "2010-08-30T16:10:31Z")
Oh, nevermind, joke too stupid. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/33 "2010-08-30T16:23:10Z")
As long as he didn’t use a \<3 … ---
**Author:** ![Serenata67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/serenata67/32/10646_2.png) [@Serenata67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Serenata67)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/34 "2010-08-30T16:45:12Z")
I say unprofessional. Now, if it’s a chatting type conversation (How was your weekend?), then it’s not so bad. But if it’s an e-mail sent to the whole class about the syllabus or course objectives, then I don’t think it’s professional. I had a TA once end an e-mail saying “thx!” … real future professor material there. ---
**Author:** ![gwendee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@gwendee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gwendee)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/35 "2010-08-30T17:06:29Z")
Whats the tone of the class, and the nature of the relationship? I went to a teeny tiny college. People with the same major had tons of classes together and often the same professor for several classes. We were on pretty friendly terms. I might not even have noticed if Prof. C had used a smiley (unless, as noted aboved it was used incorrectly.) I don’t think a smiley is out of place in a light hearted email. “Don’t forget we’re meeting at the library Thursday, not the calssroom :)”. If the message is serious "The attendance pollicy is non-negotiable. Three missed classes will lower your grade. 😛 " I’d think it was weird, but probably not weird enough to start a thread over. ---
**Author:** ![limegreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/82dd89/32.png) [@limegreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/limegreen)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/36 "2010-08-30T17:09:36Z")
As a teacher, I would find it odd to use an emoticon in an email to a parent or in a handout to students. I would try to be more professional. In an email to family, friends, colleagues, meh. ---
**Author:** ![Stoneburg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Stoneburg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoneburg)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/37 "2010-08-30T17:12:43Z")
I sent an e-mail to professor Steven Levitt with a picture attached of two cats hugging. Did not get a reply. So my current view is Smilies = OK Pictures of cats hugging = Do not expect a response ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/38 "2010-08-30T20:51:47Z")
> [@Stoneburg](#): > > I sent an e-mail to professor Steven Levitt with a picture attached of two cats hugging. Did not get a reply. So my current view is > > Smilies = OK > Pictures of cats hugging = Do not expect a response What if it was a LOLcat? ---
**Author:** ![Death\_of\_Rats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a6a055/32.png) [@Death\_of\_Rats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Death_of_Rats)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/39 "2010-08-30T21:24:15Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > I’m 20 and in college Relax. That emotican is older than you are. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2010, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924/40 "2010-08-30T21:35:12Z")
I went to college before the web existed, but I once had a professor put an actual smilie face next to my grade on a paper. Later, when I needed a professor’s recommendation for an award, I asked him on the basis of that smilie face. He agreed to recommend me, and I got the award, so the smilie face worked for me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-professor-used-a-in-a-email-to-the-class/551924.md?page=3)