Smileys are more correctly named emoticons. They are often used in Emails, Instant Messages, Text Messages, Blogs and Forum posts and other online communications. While you may feel that they are just silly fun for little children, they aren’t! They do have a very important meaning, since they show you what emotions somebody has while writing a line. It can be more than a game, as people can use them to convey serious emotions that change the meaning of the message entirely.
What if someone says to you: “You really ARE a jerk”, how did they actually mean that? Was it meant as a joke (perhaps followed with a wink emoticon), or as a legitimate insult? If they meant it as a joke, and don’ include an emoticon, then you are left to guess and this can cause confusion and hurt feelings. With the emoticon, it’s clear they are kidding. There is a difference how somebody says something depending on cadence, but let’s first show you what emoticons exist before continuing with that.
There are two kinds of smileys, the classical ones and the Japanese ones. The classic ones can be recognized if you turn the head to the left 90 degrees. The Japanese ones can be recognized without any head movements at all. Which ones you use is up to you, but I prefer the regular ones since most Americans recognize those really fast. Recognizing means that you see those characters and letters are creating a face that is laughing, winking or showing some other kind of emotion (that’s where the name emoticons comes from). If you are creative enough, you may recognize emoticons when you see them for the first time in your life, or you may be able to create your own.
To get access to FREE Smileys & Emoticons and to learn more about how to use them and what they are all about, visit SmileyGalaxy.com.