Smiley indicates that I want you to laugh......LOL seems like an order to laugh

btw, I've always seen these as what I'm doing, not what I expect you to do.

Oh Dear! You are quite right, Etaoin, and I see that I must explain myself further. I know that I am laughing, but what is the response, I want from you? I use Smiley not only to convey my reaction, but sometimse, also to smoooth out potential wrinkles in a post. In discussion boards such as these, it is easy for one to misunderstand the intent behind the words, and somethings come out sounding harsher than they ever intented to. Smiley helps to not offend people's sensibilities. And a face does not cover up as much as the letters do, does it?