Wriging

I disagree with the last bit, because in real life you're able to come across as being funny, because you have your actual face there to express that.

(Although there are some moments where people lie with emoticons, for example when they're in an argument and overuse emoticons in an attempt to show that they're calm and collected.)

I use emoticons very rarely, and only in informal situations. (Like IMs and occasionally here on the notes.) I'd certainly never use one on my blog.

My stance is that if you need an emoticon to convey meaning then you aren't writing well enough.

Obviously, people will disagree; they have their own reasons for using them. And some people just aren't as anal as I am about language. So I don't mind seeing emoticons dotted around (just don't use too many!), you just won't see me using them very often.

I don't think this is as simple as emoticons being a crutch for writing that isn't up to the mark. As humans we rely on body language more than the spoken or written word - even without thinking.

For example, have you ever noticed that when you talk to people on the phone you have to concentrate a lot more than when talking to them in person (an argument for not using hands free when driving cars).

When we read people's blog posts or notes here, we don't have the body language element so have to rely on the words only. The emoticons help to avoid confusion.

Having said that, I didn't see Shakespeare using them ;)

I'm thinking, though, of how you convey tone in writing, not in face to face communication. Your tools as a writer are your brain and words. You don't get to raise your voice, or squint your eyes, or smile. You have to convey those things with words. That's what's so magical about good writing.

In a way, an emoticon is an effort to import one of the tools of face to face communication (the human face, I mean) into a medium whose principal tool is words. Maybe that's why I find it jarring. I don't get as much pleasure from a smiley face as I do from a well turned phrase.

After more than two years being active on forums, I've found myself addicted to them. I have a hell of a time writing blog posts without using an emoticon; it's always just so tempting. Not quite sure as to why, but they are. They just set the mood so well... :-)

I'm with bloglily. The English language is beautiful and incredibly versatiile. It has far too much potential to just resort to odd combinations of punctuation and colons.

Written word loses inflection which is at the core of spoken humor.

This isn't a problem if you're John Q. Shakespear because you're aware that you're writing jokes, but when you're blogging in a conversational tone, you lose something there.

That said, I don't think emoticons have any place in written pieces. They break the natural flow of things.

Maybe if it was written as a conversation.

Who is Shakespear?!

Rich, I'll expect your next intellectual devotional to cover that topic.

As for emoticons, I think if you're struggling to get your tone across properly, it's far, far better to use an emoticon to be on the safe side than it is to leave it out and offend someone you didn't intend to offend.

That said, it's a good exercise in writing (and also in trusting your writing) to see if you can make it clear you're joking without using a colon and a parenthesis.

JBarket -- I just realized that "ha!" is one of the words I use most often in responding to comments on my blog -- that's to let the reader know I got it, almost like lines of dialog where you have a line and then a reaction. (I never say "ha" to Rich though. He should not be encouraged, is my general feeling, or we will never be able to get back to work.)

I think this depends on several variables:

1) The niche audience
2) The generation/age of the person writing
3) The type of writing involved

Honestly, the younger the person is the more likely they will not care because they grew up with it. I'm at the pivotal age where they appeared. They are so mainstream blogging software will convert them into graphics.

Being a female in a male dominated niche it was often assumed I was male simply because of my writing style. On my blog, on 9rules (anywhere actually) I write exactly as if I were talking to you. I'm having a conversation with my readers or sharing my thoughts with them. That is my writing style and what is comfortable for me. The text strips out the animations that would be there if face to face. Emots help convey my message and I started using them years ago because my readers suggested it.

Another reason is the cross cultures (which is also prevalent on my site). There are phrases that mean one thing here but are insulting elsewhere. Using a emoticon shows the reader there was no malicious intent AND allows the writer their freedom of expression.

But interesting, the example you gave was a cue for the reader and yes, if a joke isn't funny then it's not funny. Technically the same thing could be accomplished using lol, LMAO, (smile) - depends on the writing. That is not why I use them.

I use it to get across my emotions - ex. I'm saying something firmly but I'm not mad (keep in mind it is not "professional" writing). The assumption that I could state something firmly (which we all see I have to do at times) and balance how complete strangers are going to perceive my words is impossible. In my position where I have to tell people "no" and my "no" could cause hurt feelings, emoticons are very helpful with showing emotion.

When I'm writing formally, I don't use emoticons. As a few have said, a good writer has his brain and vocabulary at his disposal to craft sentences that get his meaning across.

However, when I write informally (IMs, IRC, the Notes), I'll throw in an emoticon when I want. My humor is dry and sarcastic. If people don't know me personally, I don't want them to be offended by a misunderstood comment.

Conversational writing is off-the-cuff; you don't have time to work out the perfect sentence. Furthermore, that takes time and effort and sometimes, I frankly don't want to put so much effort into an IM. That's when I use emoticons and that's why I like them.

Haha, no bloglily didn't say sometimes it's okay to use emoticons why I was struggling to respond not using one! I swear her comment wasn't there when I started writing my book lol but it really got me thinking about them. I think when I go out tonight I'm going to ask how people feel about them.

On a roll, two notes, no emoticons!

I liked your book, Tyme. :) (And I'm on a roll too -- two notes, two emoticons -- the only two I've ever used in my life.)

Erin -- Yes indeed, there's a place for them!

You know, I also think that emoticons came along right when there was a burst in communication among people who've never seen each other face to face. And so there's not that same trust you have with someone you know personally. With people you know pretty well, there's no need to give them a smiley, because they already know your intentions are good. But with people you're just meeting, and meeting in an anonymous place, they're a way to establish good intentions pretty quickly. (Except when the emoticons are a big fat lie, as someone said upthread.)

I'm with Erin--I don't usually use emoticons, unless I'm in an "immediate" format. I already frustrate people enough, what with my compulsion to spell out everything in an IM. If they had to wait for the perfect turn of phrase to say what I mean (which in most cases I'm fully capable of churning out), no one would ever talk to me live online.

And I do find that emoticons help new people to understand my sarcasm without misunderstanding. I can only imagine what people new to the IRC must think of me when I direct my sarcasm at people familiar enough with it that an emoticon explanation isn't necessary.

Lisa, I'm a little embarrassed to admit that in addition to never using an emoticon before today, I've never IM'd and I don't actually know what IRC is. And no, I am not riding a horse to work. I just like to give things some time to settle down and/or die a quiet death before I get involved in them. Okay, okay, I'm just a suspicious, technophobic weirdo. There. But I love it that you insist on using the whole word when you IM.

Who is Shakespear?!

Shakespear is what happens when natives hoola hoop.

I knew that other e in the box couldn't have been an extra piece.

JBarket -- I just gave you my very, very last point. That was extremely funny. xo, BL

I just like to give things some time to settle down and/or die a quiet death before I get involved in them.

Haha. This one gave me a good chuckle. :) [Please note that my smiley is used to show that I am being friendly and not at all sarcastic!]

IRC, or Internet Relay Chat, has been around since the late 80's. You should come and give it a go. There's a 9rules chat room. Fun stuff.

Since the late '80s! Good heavens, I had no idea. I will check that out, after I've finished rewriting several emails to make clear what my intentions are.

Having said that, I didn't see Shakespeare using them ;)

Oh really? I found these flicking through some of my books last night!

Merchant of Venice
Antonio:
In sooth I know not why I am so sad... :'(
It wearies me; you say it wearies you; :s

Hamlet
Polonius: What do you read, my lord?
Hamlet: Words, words, words. :P

Twelfth Night
The Clown: Many a good hanging prevents a bad marriage... ;)

Okay, maybe not. Although I do think it'd be much easier to understand and pick up on some of the jokes in Shakespeare if there was a little emoticon at the end of a line. I wouldn't appreciate it now but back when I was in school and had to analyze Shakespeare it would have been great.

emoticons are like salt to email's casserole. a bad email needs more emoticons, like a bad casserole needs more salt. the nice thing about email is that you can erase parts and start over—wish you could do the same with casseroles.

I often find myself using emoticons when I'm nervous. when I start peppering an email with them, it's usually a sign that I'm not comfortable with what I've written, and that rewrites are needed.

Well, I generally like to use tons of emoticons online during very informal IM messaging. I am even known in the irc channel and some main aim chats as someone who uses more emoticons in his words compared to the actual words.

However, I do draw a line between using it in IM, and my personal writing on the wired world. The usage of emoticons might be casual, but I do not allow it to infiltrate its usage in my blogging style. That will be rather unprofessional and tends to lower a bit of credibility in my opinion.

X_X (oops, see, even in serious writing, I can slip in some emoticons for the fun of it).

Anyway, I do use a variety of emoticons and yes, I faced nice people like bloglily who have no clue whatsoever the face that I am making, which is pretty hilarious since I will do more stuff to confuse the poor lady/lad.

u_uV <-- make a guess what this means!

"If you've finished writing something and feel like you need to signal that you meant to be funny, then it's quite possible you haven't written your email or comment as well as you should. Because if you mean to be funny, you should be able to get that across with words, without resort to a string of semicolons and periods."

I totally agree here, bloglily. The place where I've seen emoticons sadly barge in is in corporate e-mails. I can't tell you how many e-mails from my managers that have smileys, LOLs and other such emoticons/netspeak. Maybe it's because without them, their words could be subject to personal interpretation, and the emoticons are signals to say "hey, this part is funny".

They're pretty much the text equivalent of those flashing audience reaction signs in television studios.

*applause*

I love emoticons, but don't use them like 14 year old school girls. I like to be expressive with emoticons when there are situations where writing can be taken the wrong way (e.g. sarcasm).

Impz, My head's spinning. I have no idea what either of those mean. (You don't either, do you?)

Karsh -- That's a good comparison, the emoticon as flashing sign.

Hey dark motion, Sarcasm is the trickiest thing to pull off well.

One emoticon I don't mind using is: (:3> Which I think does a nice job of representing "asshat".

heheh Rich... I'll remember that one.

I rarely use emoticons when writing in blogs, etc. I try to convey information and mood by being fairly descriptive...so the audience reads word-imagery in order to get a mental image.

I have used them in IMs/chats, but rarely in blogs.