Until I discovered this site I was hardly ever on a website so there is one thing I have not been able to figure out....How does one know which of those those cute little symbols ie to choose when they are writing..
Is there a PC way of doing it and I am not getting it ...do they each have a special meaning and I just don't have the dictionary?..anyway any help on this would be appreciated and incase anyone is wondering this is not a trick question and I am on the level with this...

I just choose them at random. Adds to the fun when people get mad about a silly smiley- there's a lot of anger smoldering out there behind those screens.

I don't know what you mean!!!

But seriously, if you can be serious about emoticons, they started on mobiles and e-mails with people using the keyboard symbols, so ; is a wink, added to ) = and the computer programme for the site knows I want a winking smiley rather than just the symbols! Clever eh!

So in reality there is not right or wrong one to choose to heighten something you wrote...it is just a whimsical individual call...that's good I can live with that

I suppose the answer is in what they are called, Emoticons. They help to give your written word some emotion and body language. Without them it is sometimes hard to tell when someone is just joshing or being serious. So use them freely. Also, remember capitals are regarded as shouting, so only use them when you feel REALLY strongly about something! ! BTW I use LOTS of !!!! An author I like says it is a sign of insanity - you be the judge!!!

I've had people see a smiley I used and right back a snotty remark with 4 or 5 of the same smiley. Later I'd use a different smiley and they'd write another reply with 5 or 6 of that one. People take this stuff deadly serious!

quote:

Originally posted by Bill 2:
I've had people see a smiley I used and right back a snotty remark with 4 or 5 of the same smiley. Later I'd use a different smiley and they'd write another reply with 5 or 6 of that one. People take this stuff deadly serious!

Relax Bill, relax.:-))

If I were any more relaxed right now I'd be in a coma. It's a glorious day in Friuli, not a care in the world- I'm totally right brain blissing out.

One time I used this symbol: THINKING that it was like a head scratch (like confused), not even thinking that it would be interpreted from the Italian cultural point of view as "duh" or even "you are dumb/stupid"... wow, I got a raging mad response from that one! So, maybe stay away from that symbol unless you mean it