Why are emoticons crucial for online communication?

  • Thread starter cepheid
  • Start date
In summary: I think they're okay. Sometimes if you don't make very clear to someone that the statement you have written is ironic, they can send you death threats. Of course these death threats may written out of a sense of loving irony too, but you won't be able to tell unless they write some thing like "I want to kill you, you b**stard :biggrin: Would you like one pellet of rat poison or two in your coffee next time? :tongue:"
  • #1
cepheid
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Is communication over the internet viable without emoticons? :confused:

We know that (insert statistic here) percent of all communication is non-verbal, relying heavily on visible cues, tone, inflection, gestures, facial expression, etc. None of these accoutrements are available during an online conversation. :rolleyes: This can inevitably lead to misunderstanding. The emoticons are everything.

I bet if I were to say: "Hey there PF Sista! Lookin' cute in that habit! :!) ", The response would invariably be: ::SLAP!:: :frown:

Whereas if I were to say: "Hey there PF Sista! Lookin' cute in that habit! :rolleyes: ", the response would instead be ::KARATE CHOP INTO THE TD FORUM!:: :bugeye: :cry:

I hope you can see the crucial difference here... :wink:

All comments are welcome...except those criticising abuse of emoticons. :devil: :mad:
 
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  • #2
WE DON'T NEED EMOTICONS!*BS!*
We can live very well without them*lying*.
It's stupid to hide your emotions behind these silly little faces*i think this guy's on dope*
These emoticons do not express the reality behind them*oh really?*
When they post this "rofl" stupid emoticon,nobody's really laughing*i bet they're choking with tears*
The one with the pink tongue out in disgust means the poster is laughing his a$$ out*and throwing up severy afterwards*
The one with the red face means that the poster is really happy with what he reads*and this happiness would drive him mad*

And so on and so forth.I ran outta inspiration...*lying*

Anyway,we really don't need them*he's been smoking s***,alright"

Daniel.
 
  • #3
The interesting thing is that people used to be able to communicate perfectly well in written letters without the need of emoticons. Emoticons are more for fun, and also support some degree of laziness on our parts. If we were careful to fully utilize words, we wouldn't need them. I like being able to stick my tongue out at people, that's probably one of my favorite emoticons. And you're right, I'm not always laughing out loud when I use the rofl emoticon or type out LOL. It's more that I found something funny, maybe got a chuckle over it. When I'm really sitting here laughing out loud over something, I'll tell you I can't stop laughing and my sides are hurting, etc. But, part of my problem with using LOL is that when I first encountered it on the internet, I didn't know it was an abbreviation, I thought it was perhaps something a British person would exclaim when shocked, so I don't see it as L-O-L, but read it as a word. I have never gotten that out of my head. I've come very close to saying it aloud in regular conversation many times.

Anyway, if I didn't have emoticons, I'd always have stage directions to rely upon. *shakes head* <---see?

I'm desperately resisting sticking a smiley anywhere in this post, just to prove the point! (On the other hand, I don't want anyone to decide they can just take away the smilies if I argue we don't need them. No, no, no, don't take away my smilies! *flops down on floor in temper tantrum*) Oh, right, nobody's talking about taking them away. *gets up, composes self, dusts off PJs, climbs back in bed with the laptop* Phew! That was a close call. I think I may come across a bit more sane when I just use smilies, don't you think?
 
  • #4
It's probably something along the lines of "a picture is worth a thousand words". :wink:

Furthermore, they reduce the need for parenthetical statements.
 
  • #5
Moonbear said:
But, part of my problem with using LOL is that when I first encountered it on the internet, I didn't know it was an abbreviation, I thought it was perhaps something a British person would exclaim when shocked, so I don't see it as L-O-L, but read it as a word. I have never gotten that out of my head.
'lol' in Dutch literally means 'fun' :-p :biggrin:

for proof you can look it up http://www.worldlingo.com/en/products_services/worldlingo_translator.html :wink:
 
  • #6
I think they are okay. Sometimes if you don't make very clear to someone that the statement you have written is ironic, they can send you death threats. Of course these death threats may written out of a sense of loving irony too, but you won't be able to tell unless they write some thing like
"I want to kill you, you b**stard :biggrin: Would you like one pellet of rat poison or two in your coffee next time? :-p"
I get this all the time, so appreciate it when people take the trouble to include a smiley.
 
  • #7
the number 42 said:
"I want to kill you, you b**stard :biggrin: Would you like one pellet of rat poison or two in your coffee next time? :-p"
I get this all the time, so appreciate it when people take the trouble to include a smiley.

Oh, no, they all meant it.


:-p :biggrin:
 
  • #8
If you look into the great writings of Tribdog, you will notice that he never uses emoticons (of course this could be because he does not know how).
 
  • #9
But Tribdog has a Funniest Geezer of the Year banner beside his name, autmatically conferring EVERYTHING he writes with a massive grin.
 
  • #10
Moonbear said:
Oh, no, they all meant it.

What do you mean "they"? Most of them were signed "Lots of love, Moonie Baby"
 
  • #11
the number 42 said:
What do you mean "they"? Most of them were signed "Lots of love, Moonie Baby"

Imposters! I can't believe those inept fools are signing my name to those messages. I know better than to sign my name to...er...um...nothing, nevermind. :-p
 
  • #12
Never underestimate the frequency of multiple personality disorders, 42. :-p

Consider this also the first and only ramble warning, so proceed at your own risk.

To continue on Moonbears thought, while people surely used to communicate in writing without emoticons, they did so in carefully written and often drafted letters. Not that I think people of that pre-historic time lacked a sense of humour, but I think they expressed it differently, by carefully choosing their words and metaphors. (For instance, someone posted a tutorial to studying physics from the 50', which was good advice, funny and if found, a useful example for this post).

As far as I know, emoticons entered the scene at the same time as real time chats (did newsgroups have them?). Those, and for the broader public SMS, began a new era in written communication that tried to simulate spoken communication. With only a few seconds to think up and compose ones answer (in real life or a real time chat), I don't think it is surprising that visual ques plays a major role. Nor is it surprising that emoticons was needed to sufficiently simulate spoken communication in writing.

But I think the interesting question is, how did the emoticons end up in forums like this and so many other pieces of writing? Generally you could probably say that our language has become 'simplified' all the time (beginning from way before electronic communication), so how much the net and emoticons has to do with it remains open for debate.
 
  • #14
The only appropriate replay: :smile: :smile: :smile:
Have you considered a career change into teaching creative writing?
:biggrin: That was REALLY funny.
 
  • #15
  • #16
Moonbear said:
Well, I think that's a tie with this one:
https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=50547

But I used all of them. :frown:
 
  • #17
Tom Mattson said:
But I used all of them. :frown:

^^^But they used MORE per post...in crazy grids. You know what they say, quantity over quality!

Heh...I really wanted to put the :: rofl :: smilie there.

That second thread is crazy...but the first is funnier.

As for this thread: I've never gotten so many replies in one I started myself before.
 
  • #18
Tom Mattson said:
But I used all of them. :frown:

Yes, and you did so very well, but that makes it far less gratuitous since they were all in context compared to just adding as many as possible to a single post for no added meaning. :smile: The subliminal messages were cute too.

Though, anyone who has taught knows that what you described is exactly what you see in the classroom. :approve:
 
  • #19

FAQ: Why are emoticons crucial for online communication?

Why do we need emoticons in communication?

Emoticons help to convey emotions and tone in written communication, which can often be difficult to interpret without non-verbal cues and facial expressions. They also add a personal touch and can help to clarify the intended meaning of a message.

Do emoticons have a positive or negative impact on communication?

This is a debated topic, but overall, emoticons have been found to have a positive impact on communication. They can help to reduce misunderstandings and create a more friendly and approachable tone in written communication.

How do emoticons affect the brain?

Studies have shown that seeing emoticons in written communication can activate the same areas of the brain that are involved in face-to-face interactions and emotional processing. This suggests that emoticons can have a similar effect on our emotions as seeing someone's facial expressions in person.

Are there cultural differences in the use of emoticons?

Yes, there can be cultural differences in the interpretation and use of emoticons. Some cultures may use certain emoticons more frequently or have different meanings attached to them. It's important to consider the cultural context when using emoticons in communication.

Do emoticons have any impact on the formality of communication?

Yes, using emoticons can make communication more casual and informal. In professional or formal settings, it may be best to avoid using emoticons to maintain a more serious tone. However, in some cases, using emoticons can add a personal touch and help to build rapport with colleagues or clients.

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