Unless you've been hiding under a cyberrock, you know that today is the 25th anniversary of the emoticon. Scott Fahlman (Jaci, he's from Ohio) proposed those sequences of characters that we now have learned to tip our heads to read.
Where would e-mail be without emoticons? Printed matter without facial expressions or hand gestures is frequently subject to misinterpretation. But if I can indicate I'm smiling as I write something that could be interpreted as critical, I'm less likely to receive a return diatribe from the recipient.
If I'm multitasking and need to communicate something quickly, I can just type LOL when someone's statement strikes me as funny. Or if I am truly laughing out loud and wiping tears from my eyes, it's ROFLMAO. Succinct and clearly communicative.
Yes, in a perfect world we would all be able to communicate perfectly. But until that perfect day arrives, there are emoticons.
The emoticon I invented for speedy communication when IMing with Tyler is _X, which is my way of saying "my fingers are crossed."
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A friend of mine owned Waechter's Silk Shop in Asheville for many years. After she sold it, I would visit the website. The new owner had music — loud, annoying, synthesized music — on every page. The music would come on automatically and did not have an on/off button. I wrote the new owner an e-mail suggesting that she either add an on/off button to the website or turn off the music, as people who surfed from the office didn't necessarily want their coworkers knowing they were taking a moment out of work. She sent a note back saying, as I recall, "just turn your speakers down." I wrote back just to sign out of the conversation and congratulating her on purchasing the store. I closed with a smiley face or winking emoticon. She immediately wrote me back, asking if I was cursing at her in my e-mail. This was clearly someone who needed to be more aware of what was going on around her! ;-)
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