Part of the DaveNet Mail website. San Francisco CA USA. 11/13/96.

Let's Have Fun -- Now! RE: WHAT IS :-)

Sent:11/13/96; 3:53:03 PM
From: bukys@cs.rochester.edu

OK, I'll try.

"What is ' :-) '?"

It depends.

Sometimes is means "I'm smiling [inside] while I'm writing this." Sometimes it means "You can smile when you read this." Sometimes it means "This is a joke." Sometimes it means "I'm not as nasty as I sound." Sometimes it means "Just kidding."

Which of the above it is still depends on context, which is not that different from, say, a real smile on my real face during a conversation.

That you're asking the question suggests that maybe you feel that it's not helpful communication any more. If that's what you think, I'll differ. It's better than nothing. It is very ambiguous, though, like "Just kidding," which can be either a useful cue, or an insincere apology. It depends.

Let's Have Fun -- Now!

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