# That Ring Thing: Wear emoticons to meet people? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 13, 2000, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224 "2000-08-13T23:32:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/1 "2000-08-13T23:32:21Z")
I just saw a Canadian news magazine type show. On it, they were talking about different web businesses. One of them, out of Vancouver, is [That Ring Thing](http://www.thatringthing.com). The basis of it is that you buy a ring from them that has a smilie face on it, 🙂 to be exact, and then wear it to Chapters book stores at designated times. Apparently, according to the site, this: > [@](#): > > **removes those awkward uncertainties and adds a comfortable environment in which to meet people.** Also, according to the website: > [@](#): > > \*\*thatringthing 🙂 is for people who: > [ul] > [li]are new in town[/li][li]are computer geeks[/li][li]are late bloomers,[/li][li]early bloomers[/li][li]are Leos, Scorpios -[/li]the sky is the limit! > [li]work too hard[/li][li]play hard[/li][li]have been married[/li]are spinsters, > bachelors, mothers, > fathers, gay. > [/ul] > \*\* This just seems very strange to me. The list they provide on their page makes their reasoning seem misplaced and a little offensive. Isn’t this like the reverse of wedding rings. I thought you used to check for a ring on someone’s finger and if there was one, you simply walked away. Also, this company is now starting to make deals with other stores, including supermarkets, with the same idea in mind. I, for one, would feel more pressured than at ease. Like I would have to act because of the ring. ---
**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2000, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/2 "2000-08-13T23:39:52Z")
Hmmm! A fascinating idea, really. The way I see it is it’s sort of to be used as an icebreaker. “Oh, I see you have your _ring thing_ on as well!” It’s a quick and easy way to see who’s at the book store because they’re trying to score, rather than just buying a book. I predict they well catch on like wildfire, the market will be completely oversaturated, and the craze will die down and be forgotten. All in the window of about 6 months. And Randy Newman will write a song about it. ---
**Author:** ![tubagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b77776/32.png) [@tubagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tubagirl)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/3 "2000-08-14T02:22:29Z")
I think it is cute. I can see it relate to a lot of things. I know when I go to a music convention I wear my tuba necklace. It strikes up conversation with other tuba players immediatly. Although… didn’t the nazis wear lil’ swatika pins to identify one another??? Not that I’m implying anything… ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/4 "2000-08-14T02:25:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tubagirl \* > \*\*Although… didn’t the nazis wear lil’ swatika pins to identify one another??? Not that I’m implying anything… > \*\* Whoah, I’m definitely not saying it’s that bad. Though ChiefScott and some of the others might disagree with me on that one. I’m just saying that it seems like a company generalizing a group of people and thinking they can make money off of it. It might work, though. You never know. ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/5 "2000-08-14T03:39:37Z")
The only problem I see with it is having to wear a damn smiley. You might feel a bit awkward at first, but I bet after wearing the ring for a while, you’d forget you even had it on and would be pleased and surprised when attractive strangers accosted you in the grocery store. **Vogue,** I think you have it about right - but what frightens me, should this catch on, is that someone will want to make a “reality” TV show about it. I think the real question here is, should we devise a symbol we can wear IRL to identify ourselves to fellow Dopers? Maybe we can get Slug to design something. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/6 "2000-08-14T08:58:08Z")
::cough Pet Rocks! cough:: ---
**Author:** ![Ura-Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/51bf81/32.png) [@Ura-Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ura-Maru)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 9:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/7 "2000-08-14T09:07:20Z")
Heh. You think that’s bad? A while ago in Japan they were selling little tomotogochi-like thingies that you could set to your desired level of social interaction. When in proximity to another of thier own kind, set to the same level, they would emit a small beeping sound, allowing the parties to (presumably) size each other up, safe in the knowlage that their opposite was both a) avalible, and b) activly seeking a partner, or at least a date. Or, more likly, frantically hit the little beeper to shut it down before the spectacular loser in front of you realized that it was yours, and wonder what the hell you were thinking when you bought the thing. Though an easy way of finding out if a potental interest is open to suggestions, as it were, is not without its appeal. Someone in the US apparently either borrowed the idea, or just imported a bunch of them, and was trying to sell them as “gaydars.” – “Great. A sparrow from the year 5000 ran into thier window.” ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/8 "2000-08-14T09:10:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by tubagirl \* > **Although… didn’t the nazis wear lil’ swatika pins to identify one another??? Not that I’m implying anything…** :rolleyes: And it’s _swastika_. ---
**Author:** ![silent\_rob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@silent\_rob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silent_rob)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2000, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/9 "2000-08-14T09:33:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ura-Maru \* > **When in proximity to another of thier own kind, set to the same level, they would emit a small beeping sound, allowing the parties to (presumably) size each other up, safe in the knowlage that their opposite was both a) avalible, and b) activly seeking a partner, or at least a date.** What ever happened to going up to somebody and talking to them? This is going to sound like a small rant (and it is) but we developed this great thing called language, and now we’re developing all of these gizmos and fads so we don’t have to talk. Of course there’s still body language, and the international language of _love_. To bad I’m not fluent in them. Okay, give me a frickin smilie ring. 🙂 Hmmm, I can feel myself changing. All of the sudden, I can talk to women! Oh, the power, the power of it all. Of course, I’ll only use my powers for good, unless… ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 8:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/10 "2000-08-15T08:36:26Z")
At least we’d know which finger to cut off these freaks as punishment. > [@](#): > > I think the real question here is, should we devise a symbol we can wear IRL to identify ourselves to fellow Dopers? Oh, Dopers are easy to spot in real life. They sport the 1,000-yard, barely able to keep their eyes open stare from being awake all night; Squint from monitor overexposure; are impatient and measure time via speed to download threads; the guys sport near constant wood, the women are prone to unexpected psychic orgasms; invoke the name “Satan” quite often; use common words like “user,” “poster,” “thread” and “flame” in new and exciting ways; are unabashed flirters; and are usually found in back tables of bars awaiting others of their ilk. Dopers flock. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/11 "2000-08-15T10:11:51Z")
And let’s not forget, Chief… all 'Dopers just LOOOOVE smilies. (Methinks I’m a tad suicidal). ---
**Author:** ![SwimmingRiddles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@SwimmingRiddles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SwimmingRiddles)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/12 "2000-08-15T12:58:15Z")
On the one hand, I always assume a normal looking guy has a chick. This might help that. On the other hand, anyone who pays $25 for a pinky ring because he’s too chicken to approach chicks is not that normal. Whatever happened to the furtive glance? ::sigh:: ---
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/13 "2000-08-15T13:32:28Z")
::Throws furtive glance at **Swiddles** , _while_ sporting wood:: ---
**Author:** ![Falcon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/49beb7/32.png) [@Falcon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falcon)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/14 "2000-08-15T14:40:24Z")
SPOOFE - what the hell IS it with you and your brother?? Chief’s gonna nuke you both! 🙂 As for the OP…_shudders_ One of the stupider things I’ve heard in a while. I’ll stick to what I know, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![soulsling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@soulsling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/soulsling)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2000, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/that-ring-thing-wear-emoticons-to-meet-people/29224/15 "2000-08-15T14:45:05Z")
So, this ring thing, it won’t get in the way of me sliding on up to some babe in the subway and whispering sweet comments in her ear will it? I’d hate for something silly to get in the way of my love for flirting.