:-) ;-) *

1. 68

   davenmidtownposted 12 years ago

   :-)   ;-)   *
   
   These icon, emoticons, etc seem to be finding their way into sentences as though they are punctuation.  Do you enjoy these "items" when you are reading other peoples work? Do you think there is a place for these in writing?  What do you really want to say about all this?  Go Ahead!

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2. 58

   mkeithposted 12 years ago

   Emoticons should never be used in writing for public consumption.  They are a detraction from any language.
   
   If they are used in a personal note, then I suppose it is fine.  But some of us become very annoyed when they are used frequently.

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3. 82

   Pamela N Redposted 12 years ago

   They are fun in comments or emails but don't have a place in articles. A personal blog maybe but nothing we want to be taken seriously.
   
   As to my opinion of them, I think they hold an important place since we have no privilege of facial expressions to see when a person is joking or other emotions we want to convey. I think they add fun playfulness to conversation. )

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4. 81

   gregasposted 12 years ago

   I take offense to you using them as a question. (Just kidding.) No, I feel they have no business in articles or hubs, or as Pamela says, in anything serious. E-mails ok and maybe a place in comments. Greg

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5. 60

   rlahaposted 12 years ago

   I think it is okay for people to respond to hubs with comments and emoticons.  However, when the person writing a hub or anything in general uses these emoticons, it gets rather annoying when there is an interesting hub which is plagued by these emoticons.

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6. 60

   duffsmomposted 12 years ago

   I think in a situation such as answers it can soften a statement that might be taken wrong - a little smile lets the reader know the writer is being funny or not being nasty.  In serious writing, I think it has no place.  It is for casual communications, here, email, texting etc.

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7. 81

   Danette Wattposted 12 years ago

   the first year I taught the basic news writing course at the comm college nearby, I had a student who use @ in a sentence in a news article he was writing. Needless to say, I sent it back to him and told him and the others that "text talk" didn't have a place in news stories.

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8. 81

   Wesman Todd Shawposted 12 years ago

   I think it looks tacky and very unprofessional in the text in a hub, etc; but I'm positive that I've done that.
   
   I'll put those in comments though, and don't consider that to be expected to be "professional" as our text should be in the body of a hub.

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9. 60

   MickSposted 12 years ago

   I sometimes use these icons; although I prefer not to, I think they are quite pathetic, it sometimes seems as if people want to see them.  They are often used with things like 'LOL'.  It is easy to see when a subject has gone of topic because there is allways a good spattering of icons and LOLs.  Ther is often the explanation that as we're are communicating by means of text, we need them to express emotion, hence, emoticons.  That of course is nonsense, we have punctuation to express that, and is it really important that the recipient knows or believes that we are laughing out loud.

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10. 86

    SidKempposted 12 years ago

    I find that emoticons are downright dangerous, unless you are writing to one person who knows you well. I use them only in text messages and short emails (usually replies, rather than original notes) to friends.
    
    What does really mean? Am I smiling, making a joke, or asking you to smile? If we don't have a shared meaning for each emoticon, then I will be misinterpreted. And, when trying to convey emotion, misinterpretation leads to hurt and confusion.
    
    If we want to write to a general audience, let's learn to write well, and express ourselves clearly. Otherwise, I may mean , but leave people feeling !

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11. 67

    cloverleaffarmposted 12 years ago

    When I see these, it tells me that the person is too lazy to right out the whole thought. Personally, I find that there is no place for them in writing. If I see them in a hub, I vote it down and move on. I don't even read the hub, or article because I see it as they don't take their work seriously.

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