# Not a blast. Just an observation and honest query. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 1, 2003, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781 "2003-11-01T02:36:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/21 "2003-11-02T16:12:30Z")
I also go along with **Ringo**. I’ve offended a few people on occasion with my particular brand of dead-pan attempts at humor, so if I think that some comment that I can’t resist posting will appear to be snide or demeaning, I’ll throw in a 😉 to try to make my intentions clear. (I also cancel about half of my smart-ass remarks before posting, just because I suspect that few people will understand them.) Other than that, I don’t recall using the silly little buggers. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/22 "2003-11-02T16:22:30Z")
There’s another board I visit occasionally where the smilie content is truly nausea-inducing – whole posts consisting of bouncing and wing-flapping and noisemaker-blowing and hugging and on and on and on smilies. I have to admit that it’s fun to childishly indulge in them occasionally. Another board I visit has no smilies at all, and sometimes it would be really nice to have one or two just to tell if someone really is kidding or not. Without the verbal cues of body language, etc., sometimes misunderstandings do happen. Strong mods are needed when there are no smilies at all. I’m glad this board has some smilies but not too many. Going through life without this guy ;j or the ability to :smack: myself or the classic :wally just wouldn’t be the same! ---
**Author:** ![thatDDperson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de0a6/32.png) [@thatDDperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thatDDperson)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/23 "2003-11-03T12:15:15Z")
As a dyslexic, the original, do-'em-from-the-keyboard emoticons confuse me, usually just for a few moments. The small selection that we have here is adequate, but not regularly overused. I do not recall seeing any severe smiley abuse, but there have been posts where the addition of a smiley has made the difference between “Ah, OK, it’s not serious” and “I’m gonna track that sucker down and beat him sensless with a tire iron”. (Insert proper emoticon at this point.) \<----- That is how I do smileys on boards where they are not already linked. ---
**Author:** ![Sister\_Vigilante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@Sister\_Vigilante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sister_Vigilante)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/24 "2003-11-03T12:23:11Z")
I use them, and I do feel that they’re often necessary. I have gotten wildly different reactions to things I say on other boards, based on nothing more than the placement (or lack thereof) of a smiley. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/25 "2003-11-03T17:54:33Z")
I use them to convey emotion/intent when I believe what I’m saying may be misunderstood. But I don’t think I’ve ever used them to reply to one of your threads. I wouldn’t dare! ---
**Author:** ![Yossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/9de0a6/32.png) [@Yossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yossarian)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/26 "2003-11-03T18:05:24Z")
Hate 'em. I also hate “lol” and all of its variations. ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/27 "2003-11-03T18:38:53Z")
But where else could we get the gay smilie rainbow? :mad:🆒;):D:(😕 😃 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/28 "2003-11-03T18:46:31Z")
I use them occasionally, maybe every twentieth message or so. I agree that they can be overused, and a crutch for inadequate writing. Whenever I use one, I try to make it a careful and conscious decision, sort of like that old petrol-conservation slogan, _“Is This Smilie Really Necessary?”_ A third of the time, I revise my text to make the smilie unnecessary, clarifying my intent with language alone. Another third of the time, I decide, yes, this is necessary, I cannot adequately convey the entirety of my meaning without a nonverbal wink or other cyber-equivalent of body language. And the final third of the time, I think about it for a while, and then I get lazy and say, ah, screw it, and leave it in. I’m not proud… ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/29 "2003-11-03T19:22:11Z")
I hate smileys. With a passion. I almost never use them except for the frowny blue one because he’s so sad. Overuse of smileys just dumbs down a post, in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/30 "2003-11-03T21:44:43Z")
Whilst getting rid of smileys, should we get rid of “!” “?” as well, since the meaning of any sentance should be obvious without them as well. ---
**Author:** ![Qburn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/bc79bd/32.png) [@Qburn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qburn)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/31 "2003-11-03T21:49:26Z")
“There’s no emoticon to express what I’m feeling.” ``` -Homer J. Simpson ``` ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/32 "2003-11-03T21:50:01Z")
Smile when you say that, Bippy. I’m with **Chief** on this one and I remember his “smilie diatribes” of the past. I’m sure some of my sarcastic remarks have been taken more personally than I meant them, but I can’t bring myself to use smilies. It’s easier and more asthetically pleasing to apologise. Or not. ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/33 "2003-11-03T21:58:09Z")
I don’t have a problem with smilies, as long as the post actually contains some text aswell! ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2003, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/34 "2003-11-03T22:14:44Z")
They’re just another way to get your point across. The only reason language works is because people put in the effort to make symbols be letters, and letters become words. Smilies and emoticons are simply extensions of the language. Do people who use a lot of emoticons lack, or even lose, the ability to express themselves only using words? I don’t think so, I think they’ve just expanded their vocabulary to include the emoticons. It’s an upgrade. Let’s face it, it’s nearly impossible to express one’s true feelings and emotions purely using words. That’s why poetry and writing in general are arts, not sciences. Particularly in the mechanical world of computer bulletin boards, emoticons can be an adjunct to expressing ones feelings. That said, I think we need two more smileys: A red devil character with horns – tail and pitchfork optional – to express when one is playing devil’s advocate; and an iron, so one can indicate that the post is meant as an ironic counterpoint. ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/35 "2003-11-04T04:27:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by armcandy \* > \*\*The other ironic ones usually look more like “dubious” or “insecure”. \*\* We have a ‘dubious’ :dubious:, but not an ‘insecure’. What would that one be, a smiley sucking it’s thumb? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ripley2004](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@Ripley2004](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ripley2004)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2003, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781/36 "2003-11-04T07:57:39Z")
Smilies are fun to use–and they are a tool to communicate in this very visually-oriented society. How can anyone get their panties in a bunch over such a trivial little thing? I don’t buy that _we are too good to use smilies,_ snobbish bullcrap. Smart people use smilies. 😉 :this smiley not used to lessen sarcasm: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/not-a-blast-just-an-observation-and-honest-query/210781.md?page=1)