Food for thought - the use of emoticons

Is there anyone else who thinks emoticons are overused? It seems to me that if a writer has made his point clear, an emoticon isn't needed. If developing our writing skills is a side benefit that accrues from posting on these forums, won't we be better off in the long run by choosing words and ideas instead of picking out cute emoticons?

YES....

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Boy, I wish I could agree. But I can't tell you the number of times I've been spanked in forums because what I thought was a carefully written, literate comment was taken as snotty and condescending (and I'm a freakin' published writer!). These places usually collect people who are passionate about a subject. And where there's passion, there will be the odd short fuse and/or chip on shoulder. I applaud your sentiment, but just in case...

A picture says more than a thousend words.

I like them. When you meet someone face to face it's easy to see non-verbal cues to judge emotion, meaning, and intent. Making these same judgements with strangers on a message board can be much more difficult. Smileys can help reduce the overall tension in heated threads and beyond that they are often just simple fun. Surely no harm in that. They certainly have no place in business or professional correspondence, but I see no harm on a message board.

All praise the angry non emoticon man.

Emoticons can often bring life and fun to a post. It can be used to express a joke or a feeling. Posting without them can sometimes (depends on the message) be like listening to a robot or a recording....

+1 Well said. I like them. I have been misinterpreted and misinterpreted plenty of business emails before because you can't always tell if the person is serious, sarcastic, or joking. This typically evolves around people who are asses to begin with.

Emoticons are fun... how else could I tell you if I'm annoyed and in a bad mood with a thread... or when the "993 is the greatest 911" discussion flares up... or when we have the argument over switching oil types for the 9th time in 24 hours. ... as someone else said, a picture is worth a thousand words.

I like them. They convey meaning that sometime words can't. And they are fun!

I don't need any emoticons when I am telling a "newbie" to...... post the ^*%$#@! PICS! Personally, I think this "kind and gentle" reminder is self-explanatory. Actually, I like them because, as other have said, they help give a better indication on how the poster intended a statement or comment to come across.

WHAT!?! There is a debate about oil!?! Come on everyone knows that our car should be running......

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