Using emoticons to soften the tone of your writing?

[SwitSof]

I must admit for me personally, I use emoticons to soften the tone of my writing in other forums I belonged to.
I don't use the "angry", basically the emoticons expressing negative emotions, that much at least.
But it seems, some people consider emoticons as a rather stupid or silly way of expressing things. Kind of like showing a weakness or showing you're not that strong of a person who needs to soften the tone of your writing or who needs to make the other person comfortable to give a response to what you write. At least I got that kind of impression from some people, about showing a weakness part that is.

Do you use emoticons and if you do, why or for what purpose?
When you see one in somebody's post, does it make you feel you get a better picture cause the emotion is expressed there too? Or simply encourage you to write back cause it doesn't look so cold if the post is only text?
Ever experienced a misunderstanding with another poster about interpreting the same emoticons?

 

[gopher]

I don't see the use of emoticons as silly. In fact, they add to any discussions. So please feel free to use them.

And please find a creative avatar as they really add levity to the exchange. You see my self portrait to the left of your screen - a very apt likeness, indeed!

 

[SwitSof]

With the freckles too? *grin*
I don't have any good picture on this laptop, but will try to find one.
Blimey, I couldn't edit my first post to include a poll, is it possible to do that actually?

After edit:
Actually I tried to put an avatar just now, but on the link "Edit Avatar" there is no function to upload the image file...
I guess I'll be faceless for a while.

 

[Liberalman]

That is a gay way of looking at it, not that there’s anything wrong with being gay.

 

[SwitSof]

That is a gay way of looking at it, not that there’s anything wrong with being gay.

Which did you refer by "that" in saying that is a gay way of looking at it?
To use emoticons? Or to consider using emoticons as silly? Or what gopher said that it's not silly?

 

[Liberalman]

Using emotions as silly because it takes away from the intensity of the message.

It just reminds me of the world trade centre disaster the English were whispering their distaste of what happened while the French using their emotion to describe the incident. To the English it sounded like it was not a major event even though the English were traumatized and the French seemed extremely mad about what had happened.

Anyone that says that you shouldn’t use emotions in any form of communication is out of their minds.

Emotion is good to relieve the body of built up stress

 

[Kreskin]

Body language influences context. Emoticons help clarify the context of a message.

 

[Nuggler]

Jeez K; You got between me and Liberalman

Was going to demo some emOTicions for him, such as:

dink:fart::tool::jerk::knob::laughing3::bs:


There, all my tension gone

Message is clarified.

Oldnugly

 

[SwitSof]

I took it that Liberalman agreed that using emoticons is good to emphasise what the person is communicating actually.
OldNUgly, did you interpret what he was saying differently??

 

[gopher]

With the freckles too? *grin*

After edit:
Actually I tried to put an avatar just now, but on the link "Edit Avatar" there is no function to upload the image file...
I guess I'll be faceless for a while.

Use function one and copy and paste any url from the Internet. Almost all are fair use and do not violate copyright laws when you post them.

 

[SwitSof]

You meant F1?
On my control panel->edit avatar, the radio button "Do not use avatar" is selected by default though, so I can't paste the URL

 

[gopher]

Looks good!

 

[SwitSof]

Still can't upload an avatar

 

[Nuggler]

I took it that Liberalman agreed that using emoticons is good to emphasise what the person is communicating actually.
OldNUgly, did you interpret what he was saying differently??

Ya, probably. Sorry. He said emotions. We is talkin emoticons eh? Different.

Never let yer emotions run rampant. EMOTICONS, well now they is a horse shooting in a barrell eh!!8O.........of fish........kettle.

Sorry Liberalguy. I FUBAR'd again.

:wav: Yay liberalguy.?

 

[SwitSof]

Still can't upload an avatar

Apparently here is the answer:
http://forums.canadiancontent.net/lounge/62323-how-change-avatars.html#post838052