I guess it all depends on what you view the role of emoticons, both keyboard and image, to be, Mike. The danger of exchanging written messages rather than having face-to-face conversation is that the lack of facial expression can leave the auditor/reader wondering whether someone is being serious or sarcastic or humorous or whatever. Emoticons (including the textual ones like LOL and ROTFLMA) can, to some extent, take the place of the emotional content of personal communication.
I guess it depends how you use them. If you use LOL at the end of a statement which could be taken either seriously or humorously, perhaps it's appropriate. If you're just trying to say "Gee, ain't I a funny guy/gal/green space alien with long antennae", well, maybe it is inappropriate. A bit like people who laugh at the end of everything they say.
Of course, it always helps if people have actually met, or even if they have had phone conversations where the vocal emotional input can have much the same beneficial effect.
That is one of the reasons why regulars on this Board should seriously consider going to the PaddyWap this June. Those of us who
have met have a fair idea of when we are having the michael extracted or are being hammered or humoured by the others!
- Pfranz
