Effective use of emoticons to enhance online communication

[hari]

Thank you so much! I never expected this old article to come up.

 

[gogoblender]

Hari, would it be okay if I reprinted this in my forum with a link back to your own writing site?



gogo

 

[hari]

Quite frankly, I have no objection. Just give a link back to my blog and my forum.

Also let me know the URL where you'll be posting this.

I think you might need the permission of the emoticon creators to to copy some of those images. So be careful about that.

 

[PoetJC]

So glad you're back at Taz!

Yes - definitely an asset to TAZ for surely!

Jacquii.

 

[Schot]

Why are emoticons important?

One of the few areas of online communication that doesn't seem to attract much attention from forum owners or users alike is the effective use of emoticons to enhance online communication.

Communication - textual or verbal - is not only about sharing information but also carries an inherent emotional aspect with it. Whether we appreciate it or not, we are subtly influenced by the use of non-verbal cues to interpret communication in real life. The same goes for online communication as well. We always try to "complete" the communication from all aspects and apart from the informational value carried in messages, we also look for the emotional cues that lie beneath.

Classification of emoticons and how they affect online communication

I tend to think of emoticons as the "visual" aspect of online communication that gives us emotional cues. There are two broad categories of emotional messages that an emoticon can carry: positive or negative. Each has its own use in online communication and I'll try to explain them in more specific detail here.

A more detailed classification would be:

1. Emotion "sharing" emoticons - positive/negative. ( , , , , etc.)
2. Cue emoticons confused:, , , etc.)
3. Ornamental emoticons (all custom/animated emoticons)

However, bear in mind that because of the widespread and careless use of emoticons these days, certain smilies have almost zero emotional content while certain other non-standard emoticons just serve as amusement value for the end users and don't have much effect in delivering emotional messages. Standard emoticons are generally more effective because they are visually simple and have a direct relation to facial expressions of different kinds.

Many of my explanations are based on subjective analysis and experience and have no backing by objective research. But with experience, I'm sure many forum users will agree that emoticons are definitely an important aspect of online communication.

Basic emoticons and their underlying emotional messages

1. Happy Smile
   The most common emoticon, the happy smile is essentially positive in nature and conveys cheer. The important thing is to note that it should be used only when you would generally smile at the other person while delivering a message. Use of this icon in contradictory situations - namely while delivering negative or aggressive messages can easily be spotted - and will annoy everybody. The excessive use of the smile is also an irritation, so use this only to enhance the friendly tone of a message and not to tone down aggression.
   Situations to use in: thanking somebody, generally sharing a greeting, welcoming messages and in other light, humourous banter where warmth is to be conveyed.
2. Cheesy/toothy Grin
   This is a very positive emoticon, but has a different connotation from the common smile icon. This should generally be used sparing to have maximum effect and should be used mainly for sharing humour and goodwill and never as a sarcastic device. Because of its high potential for emotional content, this should be used only in positive communication.
   Situations to use in: sharing and enjoying humour, exuding goodwill and in light-hearted banter.
3. Cheeky/Tongue
   This is another positive emoticon, but has the ability to be interpreted negatively, especially when the message is slightly sarcastic in tone. However, different rendering of this emoticon may have a different effect (see the phpBB version of this to see the difference). While you might interpret the message as a joke, the use of this smiley might convey that you're ridiculing the other party, although mildly. Hence should be used carefully and only when the whole message is absolutely clear.
   Situations to use in: mainly in positive tongue-in-cheek humour or in light banter. Almost never in sarcastic messages and messages which can be interpreted in a negative light.
4. Sad/unhappy
   This icon might be seen as a negative icon in certain situations, but is almost never aggressive in nature and can be used generally as a way to share unhappiness. However, this icon is best used only in situations where the user is more unhappy with himself/herself than with others. But care needs to be used to make sure that you don't come across as pathetic, especially when asking for help. So it's best avoided when you seek help.
   Situations to use in: Non-aggressive sadness/unhappiness. More effectively used to convey the passive emotion than to share it actively with others.
5. Angry/aggressive
   This is one of the most aggressive emoticons that there is, mainly because of the intensity of the expression (the frown and the curled lip). This is very effectively used by trolls to stir up emotions, especially as a means to rebuke others. Use very carefully and almost always in showing your anger at impersonal situations or things rather than people. When the message is extremely aggressive in tone, this strengthens the aggression.
   Situations to use in: Best in showing anger at impersonal situations. Also used effectively in communicating that you're heated at the moment and don't wish to discuss a particularly sensitive subject any more.
6. Rolling eyes
   One of the most powerful smilies in delivering emotional impact - more than the aggressive emoticon - because of the way it's designed. It has a way of stirring up negativity when used as a weapon of cutting contempt (when delivering extremely contemptuous or overbearing messages). Be careful when you intend only mild sarcasm because it strengthens the "contempt" and "overbearing" element in the message. Also used effectively by trolls in ridiculing good, logical arguments.
   Situations to use in: Any message where you need to show heavy sarcasm or cutting contempt and an overbearing attitude. Needless to say, use sparingly at best and in an impersonal context.

Other emoticons with lesser emotional potential

Cue emoticons:
Certain other standard emoticons at best have a mildly amusing or positive influence. Some of them are the , , and . These are generally not as impactful as the basic emoticons. Most of these are not "shared" in the communication but merely as symbols of certain obvious feelings. They are used as highlights to clarify a certain mindset during the communication rather than sharing an emotion.

Ornamental emoticons:
The non-standard emoticons also have little emotional content and serve more as amusement elements, particularly animated ones like . In general, the more complex the emoticon, the less emotional content it carries. That's because the mind doesn't really interpret the emotional aspect of the icon but takes it as amusement. So these icons are used as mildly positive elements in communication, but are not really essential.

Conclusion

The importance of visual cues in communication, verbal or non-verbal, cannot be over-emphasized. Even in online communication, our minds tend to "fill up the missing pieces of the puzzle" and emoticons, if used wisely, can help the communication to convey and enhance the underlying emotional aspects of the communication.

Bear also in mind that this is subjective and the impact will vary depending on the actual quality of the text communication as well as the mindset of the receiver. The key is to used emoticons sparingly and accurately in context to have maximum potential impact.

Fantastic article harishankar and I completely agree with your point of view on how important a role emoticons play within textual conversations. Via text we are missing out on a great deal of the communication package compared to a face to face conversation. Facial expression, tonal expression and even the props that one might grab and use as part of expressing an idea in real life. Emoticons are a great way of filling in the void.

gogo pointed this topic out to me today and we both had a chuckle over your emoticon #6. You see the thing is that a couple of years ago I banned that emoticon from our forum, lol. I'm pretty sure the staff thought I had gone insane but I was adamant about the removal of that little eye roller. It was unfortunate because it can be used in a great way but what I was seeing was that 90% of the time it was used to mock and condescend others. So... Out from our list of selectable emoticons it went. It's nice to read that someone else sees this particular emoticon as having the greatest ability to offend. Maybe I'm not crazy after all. ^^

On the other side of the coin, the happy go lucky side, this one can be a powerful emote when timed right. I see our members use it sparingly and when it is used it seems to give the message so much more impact.

View attachment ai50.tinypic.com_5xokrt.jpg

P.s.
I really have to say that Kolobok's emoticons are the absolute best on the net. He provides them for free and we use most of his on our forum.
Kolobok emoticons

 

[PoetJC]

Kolobok emoticons

Thank you - THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!
I misplaced that site link - I've been looking for it for weeks - I'm gonna bookmark it right now!

Yes! Excellent smilie source - that's where most of my smilies come from - I'd just forgotten the site url! So thanks for that

Jacquii.

 

[Earache]

On an SMF forum although there are many smiley packs uadmins can also add their own ( or remove ones they don't want).

I replaced some with ones which I wanted instead.

These include a cybermans head, an aliens head, a dalek, a space shuttle even two smileys having a lightsaber duel.

Why not have some fun at the same time?

 

[dladybugn]

Years ago, one of the invision board 3rd party sites (you know, mods and tutorials for brand-users -- it might have been Invison-Things) had a great social smiley.

It was a white square smiley that was "given" to good posts, and collected. (Giving them prompted people to add them to their signatures)

Very simple, not animated, it just sat there. I noticed the big thing about it was, no matter how new a person was to the board, they could "get" the white smily thing and immediately feel like they were up on it, as if there were an inside joke they were privy to.

It was a very subtle thing that let in new users without a huge barrier to participation. A new user could post a question, receive an answer, and reply with giving a white smily. Something about it said "Even if I don't understand everything you guys do, I'm smart enough to get the white smily thing and be one of you."

Experienced users gave them out for good posts with clear subject lines and I swear those white smilies stimulated more good will and participation than forum guideleines and rules ever would have.

 

[Schot]

Your welcome Jacquii! ^^ Funny cause i went through a similar time a year or so ago. I needed to find an emoticon that was made by Aiwan but for the life of me I couldn't remember the site name. I went bonkers for a couple weeks trying to remember it. I finally found a link to it buried deep inside our mod section. I don't know why but the name Kolobok just isn't memorable to me. Kolobok, Kolobok Kooooolobok. *Tries to memorize*

Love the lightsaber emoticon Earache. Our members enjoyed that one.


What a great way to let new arrivals know that they are welcome dladybugn. I like that idea of giving someone a smile to wear. Cool.

 

[SteveMetalman]

Very useful insight.

 

[msmir]

Thanks for posting this, this place has so much useful stuff!!

Mir

 

[c0mrade]

Good one. Are you from Chennai?

 

[MattDowisCool]

I am shocked and saddened that you would describe a dancing banana as void of emotional content. Maybe it just goes beyond your rather narrow conception of emoticons, and by extension, human emotions, as falling conveniently into "positive" and "negative" categories. A dancing banana delights me yet concerns me at the same time. I believe a good administrator will harness these complex emoticons to deepen the interactions on their board, not dismiss them as ineffective or superfluous.

MattDowisCool

 

[Gringostyles]

I have spent my entire life reading and I have never come across a more important article so critical to the fate of the human race. Emoticons display not only our intentions in communications, but also our hopes and passion in life. They allow us to connect our hearts and souls in a manner not previously known. I will forever cherish the first time my eyes set upon this work though I know every time I return, my heart is warmed and my mind is soothed.

Thank you Hari for this important piece of literature. A true visionary among mortals. Also, Trump 2016.

 

[MattDowisCool]

I have spent my entire life reading and I have never come across a more important article so critical to the fate of the human race. Emoticons display not only our intentions in communications, but also our hopes and passion in life. They allow us to connect our hearts and souls in a manner not previously known. I will forever cherish the first time my eyes set upon this work though I know every time I return, my heart is warmed and my mind is soothed.

Thank you Hari for this important piece of literature. A true visionary among mortals. Also, Trump 2016.

Your emoticons are sick.

 

[MattDowisCool]

Your emoticons are sick.

Sorry I meant emojis

 

[Gringostyles]

I am shocked and saddened that you would describe a dancing banana as void of emotional content. Maybe it just goes beyond your rather narrow conception of emoticons, and by extension, human emotions, as falling conveniently into "positive" and "negative" categories. A dancing banana delights me yet concerns me at the same time. I believe a good administrator will harness these complex emoticons to deepen the interactions on their board, not dismiss them as ineffective or superfluous.

MattDowisCool

I would also have to agree with MattDowisCool. The dancing banana banana:)
conveys much deeper meaning that the author alludes to in the article (despite my previous post which claimed this article was amongst the greatest literary feats of all time, rivaling Plato's Republic and whatever **** Aristotle wrote). The dancing banana captures that moment of euphoria like when you are being handed your baby for the first time, or when you catch a baseball at the world series of baseball.

Regardless, Hari, keep writing and never give up the dream. Your continuous insight into emoticon use is forever appreciated.

 

[MattDowisCool]

I would also have to agree with MattDowisCool. The dancing banana banana:)
conveys much deeper meaning that the author alludes to in the article (despite my previous post which claimed this article was amongst the greatest literary feats of all time, rivaling Plato's Republic and whatever **** Aristotle wrote). The dancing banana captures that moment of euphoria like when you are being handed your baby for the first time, or when you catch a baseball at the world series of baseball.

Regardless, Hari, keep writing and never give up the dream. Your continuous insight into emoticon use is forever appreciated.

G-Styles...thanks for the support on my comment, I thought it was a valid criticism of an otherwise Pullitzer-worthy article (is that for writing? ). Hari, didn't mean to imply the article wasn't paradigm-shifting in the admin community, because it is . I just thought some constructive criticism on the dancing-banana paradox was warranted.