# What do you think about smilies on SDMB? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [May 29, 2010, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166 "2010-05-29T10:41:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/21 "2010-05-31T11:37:46Z")
Yes, animated emoticons are pure evil. A few more wouldn’t kill anybody, though. _Pirate smiley! Pirate smiley! Pirate smiley!_ ---
**Author:** ![Ostrya](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/35a633/32.png) [@Ostrya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ostrya)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/22 "2010-05-31T11:58:39Z")
I say no to animated smilies, think they’re annoying. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/23 "2010-05-31T14:07:45Z")
Another _ **NO** _ to animated smilies. As to static ones, I think we have plenty as it is. It seems that many people ascribe different meanings to some of the ones we already have. Adding more icons which nobody knows what they mean doesn’t improve subtlety; it increases confusion. If each icon had a text label that always appeared after it (not the mouseover it has now), then maybe we could all agree that the red-faced open-mouth means “I (the poster) am embarassed”, rather than “I (the poster) am furious with the previous poster.” or “I (the poster) am offering BJs to all comers”. ---
**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:** [May 31, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/24 "2010-05-31T15:58:02Z")
I always assumed that it denoted boredom. “Bored with this topic/thread now…” :o ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/25 "2010-05-31T16:06:59Z")
I’d like to see a few more smilies, but definitely not animated. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/26 "2010-05-31T16:50:05Z")
> [@padabe](#): > > We used to _have_ our own, unique smilies. IIRC, they were done away with because they were a hassle during vBulletin upgrades. > > Has the official position on this changed? Does vBulletin offer a wider variety of built-in smilies? No. They were done away with because some people found them offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/27 "2010-05-31T17:16:21Z")
And with that, I think I’ve now officially heard everything. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/28 "2010-05-31T18:46:04Z")
More emoticons, but no animated emoticons. I do like the animated mind bleach and puking emoticon on Customers Suck though. Not for here. ---
**Author:** ![ianzin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ed655f/32.png) [@ianzin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ianzin)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/29 "2010-05-31T19:29:41Z")
No smilies, please Og no no no, never, none. One of the most brilliant things about the Board is the absence of smilies. Let’s keep this as a place for grown-ups to communicate in a grown-up way, not for children and adolescents who like to dress words up with little pictures of faces. If you can’t convey what you mean without drawing a little face, may I warmly suggest this isn’t the right message board for you. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/30 "2010-05-31T21:10:26Z")
> [@ianzin](#): > > No smilies, please Og no no no, never, none. One of the most brilliant things about the Board is the absence of smilies. Let’s keep this as a place for grown-ups to communicate in a grown-up way, not for children and adolescents who like to dress words up with little pictures of faces. > > If you can’t convey what you mean without drawing a little face, may I warmly suggest this isn’t the right message board for you. The board has smiles already, so what are you going on about? ---
**Author:** ![padabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/919ad9/32.png) [@padabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/padabe)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/31 "2010-05-31T21:15:39Z")
> [@TubaDiva](#): > > No. They were done away with because some people found them offensive. You are [right](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=7674482), my mistake. Damn, wonder what I was thinking. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2010, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/32 "2010-05-31T21:23:56Z")
> [@ianzin](#): > > No smilies, please Og no no no, never, none. One of the most brilliant things about the Board is the absence of smilies. Let’s keep this as a place for grown-ups to communicate in a grown-up way, not for children and adolescents who like to dress words up with little pictures of faces. > > If you can’t convey what you mean without drawing a little face, may I warmly suggest this isn’t the right message board for you. And whatever you do, never show any facial expression or inflection when you speak to people face to face. If you can’t communicate with straight-faced stoicism, maybe you need to go back to Planet Vulcan. And while we’re at it, the Sunday comics section needs to go back to black & white. And take out all the pictures and drawings, too. Just the words should be enough. ---
**Author:** ![ToeJam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dfb087/32.png) [@ToeJam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ToeJam)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/33 "2010-06-01T01:02:13Z")
A curious question, what did the wally smiley look like? I know the Wally Backstory of the boards and all, so I’m curious were the two related or something- why would that be done even? Basically- what’s the history of :wally the Smiley. ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/34 "2010-06-01T01:16:44Z")
It was a badly drawn smiley, essentially this one 😉 with a badly drawn cartoon balloon coming out the side saying “Putz!” ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/35 "2010-06-01T02:00:46Z")
[Wally](http://www.nouilles.info/illustrations/current%20smilies/wallywink.gif). Do not click on the link if you are offended by the word “putz”. The other “lost smiley” was [happy yid](http://www.nouilles.info/illustrations/current%20smilies/happyyid.gif). ---
**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:** [June 1, 2010, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/36 "2010-06-01T02:02:22Z")
> [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](#): > > And whatever you do, never show any facial expression or inflection when you speak to people face to face. If you can’t communicate with straight-faced stoicism, maybe you need to go back to Planet Vulcan. There’s a smilie for that! –\> [nouilles.info](http://www.nouilles.info/illustrations/smileypoll1/Spock.gif) > [@padabe](#): > > We used to have our own, unique smilies. IIRC, they were done away with because they were a hassle during vBulletin upgrades. We still have our own smilies: Mr. Dubious and Smacky were both contributed by SDMB members. (I think the authors were tshirts and somebody named flowbark - there may have been another designer as well.) Wally and the Happy Orthodox Jewish guy were dropped. No loss in my view: they had been mostly obsolete even before I joined the board. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/37 "2010-06-01T02:12:29Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > [Wally](http://www.nouilles.info/illustrations/current%20smilies/wallywink.gif). Do not click on the link if you are offended by the word “putz”. I thought we had a two-click rule for smut like that! ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/38 "2010-06-01T02:46:21Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Someone would need to make the case for additional smileys, showing me which ones and why we need them. > > Definitely not animated ones. > > I can agree that sometimes :rolleyes: is abused. :rolleyes: ---
**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:** [June 1, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/39 "2010-06-01T04:41:45Z")
The choices in the survey do not adequately capture the complexity and (vain)glory of my precious thoughts. And yet we endure. Those emoticons that advance the fight against ignorance I support. Those smilies that merely pander to common and puerile sentiment I oppose. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2010, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166/40 "2010-06-01T15:12:04Z")
I’d like option #5: “Doesn’t matter.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-think-about-smilies-on-sdmb/541166.md?page=3)