Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 10:33 pm Post subject: Do smileys have a purpose? Let's find out. | |
|
It has been brought to my attention that many here like to use smileys. I tried to show that they were simply a waste of space that cannot be used for anything constructive by spelling out the various smileys rather than posting them. Unfortunately, the demonstration, however blatantly obvious, was still not obvious enough so I propose an experiment to prove my theory wrong.
If you enjoy using smileys let's attempt to have a constructive conversation only with the use of smileys. After all, if smileys are good for anything at all they should be able to illustrate some sort of point in a discussion. If they don't do anything at all this thread probably won't make any sense at all so don't be afraid to respond if you can't keep up with the discussion. Just post whatever smileys you think will allow you to contribute to the discussion even if they don't neccesarily pertain to the topic. After all if smileys mean anything we should be able to tell the difference anyway. The goal is to reach an agreement or some sort of concensus on the topic below. Rule number 1: Only use emoticons. Rule number two: If someone responds with something other than emoticons, only their emoticons shall be addressed. The topic of discussion is as follows: Recently the U.S senate passed a controversial legislation regarding the trials and interrogation of terrorists. The supreme court ruled in June that the original military tribunals set up by Bush were illegal. The new legislation allows defandants more legal rights however it eliminates their ability to challenge their detention and treatment in the federal court system. If they are being tortured then basicly it's up to those torturing him to decide whether it is legal or not. What are your thoughts? (remember to respond with and provide support for your thoughts with only smileys) Does this new legislation when combined with the patriot act go too far to violate the very rights the court systems have been set up to protect or is this a neccesary step in securing the protection of U.S. citizens from terrorist attack? I'll start start this one off.  ...  ....  ....   .....  ...  ...  ..... 
|
|
Administrator
Joined: 30 Jun 2003
Posts: 1017
Location: over yonder
| Posted: Fri Sep 29, 2006 11:08 pm Post subject: | |
|
Paralanguage |
|
Joined: 18 Mar 2005
Posts: 256
Location: 3rd coast
| Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:26 am Post subject: | |||
|
|||
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:55 am Post subject: | |
In my 20 some odd years of doing this, this has got to be one of the most inane and meaningless threads I've ever seen posted on a message board.
How in the hell does an ego get so inflated that it's owner assumes anyone gives a rat's ass what he thinks about their use of smileys? They're just something that's there, for each poster to use or not use as they see fit. It doesn't require justification or rationalization or even explanation.
|
|
Joined: 18 Mar 2005
Posts: 256
Location: 3rd coast
| Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 1:39 pm Post subject: | |||
|
|||
Joined: 26 Aug 2005
Posts: 1707
| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 12:02 pm Post subject: | |
|
At the risk of repeating myself...
Here fishy, fishy.... 
(some people are a complete waste of air) |
|
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 1:00 pm Post subject: | |
|
Some things bear repeating Mags.
|
|
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:14 pm Post subject: | |||
|
|||
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:21 pm Post subject: | |||||
|
|||||
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:24 pm Post subject: | |||
|
|||
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:26 pm Post subject: | |||
|
|||
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 5:28 pm Post subject: | |||
|
|||
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 1:50 am Post subject: | |
| Maybe you just need better bait? | |
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 6:25 am Post subject: | |||
|
|||
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 2110
| Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 8:03 am Post subject: | |
|
Nofs, you're right on - this thread is inane and useless. I do see slek locking this one up.
|
|
Joined: 18 Mar 2005
Posts: 256
Location: 3rd coast
| Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 9:34 pm Post subject: | |
|
Looks like the editors of Newsweek magazine determined that emoticons serve a purpose for this week's cover design:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15178112/site/newsweek/ Much neater and easier to understand than - "--->insert sad face here<--- ff Message" |
|
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 12:53 am Post subject: | |||
Jusy what you'd expect from old Modelmore.
|
|||
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 933
Location: roaming...
| Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 12:19 pm Post subject: | |
| Trying to prove or disprove that smileys are similar to words will fail, simply because they are not. Smileys are more like punctuation marks, not words. They serve the same purpose as punctuation marks - to determine the inflection of a sentence, its mood. Just as you cannot form a sentence with commas and exclamation marks, neither can you with smileys. As generations progress, I do see the use of smileys becoming more and more acceptable and eventually crossing over into the more formal writing settings such as school or business. We're talking generations later though. =) | |
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 933
Location: roaming...
| Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 1:29 pm Post subject: | |||
... and to that end, --------------------------------------------------- Cursive writing rapidly becoming passé At Keene Mill Elementary in Springfield, Debbie Mattocks teaches cursive once a week to her gifted-and-talented group of third-graders -- mainly so they can read it. All their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. "I can't think of any other place you need cursive as an adult other than to sign your name," she said. "Cursive -- that is so low on the priority list, we really could care less. We are much more concerned that these kids pass their SOLs [standardized tests], and that doesn't require a bit of cursive." full article: Washington Post --------------------------------------------------- Add to that the anecdotal stories of people "accidentally" using smileys in their resumés and business mail (real or virtual) and we have a pattern developing. Patterns, if persistent enough, lead to changes. The occasional then becomes the norm and history is rewritten, or retyped... with smileys. |
|||
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 2110
| Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 6:16 pm Post subject: | |
kanaka, its funny you bring up cursive writing. The only time I write that way is when I'm signing my name on a document that needs signing. Otherwise, I print everything. Its what happens when you incur an injury and its easier to print than writing in cursive. I can't even read my own writing if its in cursive. 
|
|
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:57 pm Post subject: | |
| Same here. I've printed since I was in grade school and the ONLY thing I ever write in cursive is my signature. I don't see any big deal about it either. The idea is to make yourself understood and it's actually easier to do that printing than it is to write in cursive. | |
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 3:42 pm Post subject: | |||
UUnfortunately II am going to have to break my own rule and use actual words instead of smileys. . NNobody else seems to be able to follow the rule which means we have determined that smileys cannot convey actual words. . TThis supports your notion that one cannot derive meaning from a sentence full of only smileys. . HHowever, , now we have to determine if in fact smileys serve the purpose of punctuation which would help determine the inflection or mood of a sentence. . IIn order for them to do so we would have to find out whether doubling punctuation marks in a sentence adds any additional emphasis, , inflection, , or mood to a sentence. . AAfter all, , it's not as if by adding smileys that the punctuation marks are not there. . WWhat is the difference between this: : Basicly it's like adding a question mark after a question mark isn't that right?
and this:: Basicly it's like adding a question mark after a question mark isn't that right? ? II would contend that smileys add no inflection to a sentence on the basis that adding more punctuation to a sentence does not increase it' 's inflection any more than adding double punctuation marks. . IIt' 's just completely redundant as demonstarted throughout my post. . Last edited by modelemployee on Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:25 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|||
Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 238
Location: Your mom's house.
| Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 4:25 pm Post subject: | |
|
In this thread I even tried using smiley links to support my smiley arguments. Apparently smileys aren't even good for that because nobody thinks to try and click on them.
Smileys are about as useful as a mime. |
|
Joined: 04 Jul 2003
Posts: 2110
| Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 10:19 pm Post subject: | |
|
|
|
Joined: 06 Jul 2003
Posts: 8380
Location: Central CA
| Posted: Fri Oct 20, 2006 11:33 pm Post subject: | |
| Does anybody really care? | |