Tuesday, September 23, 2008

:)

I'm not a smiley face person, and I'm not that into exclamation points either (in a professional context). I absolutely NEVER say or type "lol" or "hehe." Unless I'm making the point that I don't say or type them.

But sometimes, in an email or twitter response to someone I don't know too well, I feel like if I don't mirror his or her punctuation and symbol enthusiasm, they're going to think I have a bad attitude. So, I am known to throw in exclamation points (though never more than one at once), and occasionally you may see a smiley face make its way into my typing. That is, if you're a professional associate who uses such things liberally. 

For example:

This morning I typed a Twitter post: "disappointed to find my krispy kreme donut is filled with lemon instead of apple." 

A twitter friend who has been known to help me out with articles posted this in reply: "let's see, $780B bailout, war in Iraq, pres election, Larry Craig, wrong filling in Krispy Kreem donut, slow day at the IBR? :)"

So I said: "ha! okay, you're right. Thanks for the perspective."

and then I get a private message from the guy: "just fooling with you, ya' know (I hope)."

Of course I knew! I can recognize fooling when I see it (most of the time). I suspected that if I had thrown in a smiley face at the end (like he's so fond of doing), we would have been on the same page. 

So I responded: "yeah, I know. keep it coming. :)" 

Smiley face. Mission accomplished. Even though I cringed a little bit as I was typing it.




5 comments:

Jules AF said...

I feel the same. People tend to think I'm angry unless I insert a random ugly smiley face. I hate them. But they're better than LOLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL haha

Chris said...

True,
Cause when I type I like to be sarcastic and I find it doesn't communicate well sometimes, so I put a ":)" so people know to ignore all the mean things I just said to them and just smile...like I am doing ":)"

Okay, the truth is I am just a ":)" addict. I love 'em and can't get enough of 'em.
:)
:)
:)
:)
;)

TD Quong said...

Now I'm all paranoid about how many smiley faces and exclamation marks I use. We use messenger to communicate around the office and not a day goes by that I don't use literally hundreds of emoticons.... I just hope that I didn't use any in my last chat with you. Oh Dani, I will bear this in mind next time we talk via google talk.

Dani said...

oh, internet friends. don't be self conscious about your internet punctuation habits. If it fits with your personality, it fits. It doesn't with mine, so when I do it, it feels wrong. That's all.

awni said...

i admire people who are formal in their writing. i don't use caps half the time ;) oh the wink... i use that a lot. smiley faces liberally too, but i can't STAND it when people use frowny or cry faces in texts when they're flaking or being otherwise obnoxious as if to say i can't help that i'm a total flake and i'm sad about it AGH!!!!!