Comments on: MM: Emoting

By: J

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 14:15:14 +0000

I use them as sparingly as possible, but sometimes they can help with the too casual atmosphere of IM, where thoughts seem to jumble around. I have two friends with whom I mainly communicate using IM, and with them, the emoticon is handy. J's last blog post..How to Use Your Apostrophe Correctly

By: Lisa, The Correspondent

Lisa, The Correspondent — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:13:02 +0000

Initially, I hated them. "Cutesy" is a good description. I use them sparingly now, depending on whom I'm emailing. Lisa, The Correspondent's last blog post..Weekend Checklist

By: Gillian

Gillian — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:44:10 +0000

Got to admit I never use them, in fact I’ve not even tried them.

By: pussreboots

pussreboots — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:19:24 +0000

It depends on where I’m writing. I don’t use them in my own blog. I don’t use them in email because most of my email is professional / work related. I use them when chatting with friends and family. I use them on certain online forums where they are expected.

By: JC

JC — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:48:51 +0000

Can’t stand the damn things, myself. Too cutesey for my taste, rather like a young girl dotting her “I”s with little hearts, plus I sense a great deal of insincerity in their use.

By: --Deb

--Deb — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:36:32 +0000

Well, it’s definitely true that there’s a big difference in formal and informal writing, where these are concerned! It’s just that some people can’t seem to tell the difference.

By: AmyL

AmyL — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 21:23:44 +0000

I agree with Judy. I like to have them in IM and e-mails, but not elsewhere. The Yahoo IM smilies are cute, and I like the toothy smile one the best. I do like to use the typed abbreviation to make sure people understand that I'm being friendly. I don't like it when that turns into the actual smiley in comments or blog posts. It takes too much attention away from the rest of the text. I believe there's a setting in Wordpress that allows you to turn the smileys off. AmyL's last blog post..Thinking Spring

By: Judy H.

Judy H. — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 19:06:44 +0000

I use them rather freely in IM, and sparingly in email or blog comments. The more informal the setting, the more likely I am to use them. (And, frankly, the more unusual ones available in IM can be pretty entertaining...) Judy H.'s last blog post..Not Dead Yet...