|
The word "emoticon" is a combination of "emotion" and "icon." Therefore, an emoticon is a small image that represents an emotion. These images can be created using basic keyboard characters, that together form distinct facial expressions. Some common emoticons include:
- :-) (smiling or happy)
- :-( (frowning or sad)
- ;-) (winking or sarcastic)
- :-D (very happy)
- :-O (surprised)
- :-P (frustrated)
- :-| (indifferent)
Since emoticons can be created with basic text characters, they can be inserted into any message, whether it be in online chat, e-mail, or text messaging. The expressive faces can help the recipient know the feelings behind your words. For example, a ;-) face may tell the other person you are being sarcastic, which might help avoid a serious misunderstanding. A basic :-) face may express a light-hearted feeling, which might also help prevent the other user from misreading your message.
Emoticon Shortcuts
While emoticons were initially text-only expressions, recently graphic emoticons have become popular. Therefore, many online chat programs now support emoticon shortcuts, which turn text emoticons into small graphical icons. For example, typing :) will enter a smiley face icon into the Yahoo! and Live Messenger programs. You can view a list of emoticon shortcuts for each chat program using the Shortcuts links on the left side of the page.
Using Emoticons
If you haven't used emoticons a lot, you may want to view the Common Emoticons page to become familiar with the ones most people use. If you search through all the emoticons, you will also find there are plenty of obscure ones that have been created as well. Some of these represent people, characters, objects, and even animals. These can be fun to use in online chat, but you may have to explain to the other person what they are.
Emoticons add a new aspect of feeling to online communication. But while they are great for online chat and e-mail messages to friends, they should only be used in informal communication. Using emoticons in formal messages may be seen as not serious or unprofessional. Therefore, it may be best to leave emoticons out of your business e-mails. This will help you avoid feeling :-( and keep you feeling :-).
|
