:)? or :< or :@ or :P

My previous sentiments on emoticons was one of approval. They can make and break a text and can in some occasions help to clarify a text. You know that text, the one that could be misinterpreted but that ":)" at the end should indicate to the reader that the comment was said in jest or in a happy tone. Or a ":(" to indicate hurt and sadness. Pretty brilliant if you think about it, how simple punctuation marks can make the bridge from being simple marks to indicate grammar to becoming something that would convey feeling and emotion. Heck, for that concept, often times using words and diction can fail at indicating true emotion. I have used all the different emoticons in my texting and digital communications from the basic smiley to my own creation of a "hugging emoticon," something that typed out looks like this: >---(o_o)---<.

However, recently, I am getting frustrated :< with the concept that emotions can be conveyed through punctuation-faces. This new sentiment is due to the fact that as a highly animated person my own faces can't be conveyed as easily. Sure, I can smile :) when I text and convey happiness. But what about when I am super excited happy to see you? :D Doesn't cover it, and I fail to be impressed by adding parentheses to impress the size of my smile. If I am grinning ear to ear, typing :)))) does not make it smile more, it just makes it look like like the punctuation mark face have double and triple chins. Similarly, Brittany made the comment that she did not like talking to me on the phone because she could not see my face to see if I had my "lying" face on. (Which as a side note, I was not aware that I had a "lying" face. But I have not yet had the opportunity to lie to myself in the mirror so I will just take her word on it.) So how would I convey that face in my texts, or "happy fingers" (a new form of expression that I have taken from Katelyn) or big eyed super OMG excitement face.

So on that note, I am not a fan of :) anymore. I will still use them, I suppose. But only because I have no other viable means of conveying emotions in 160 characters or less per text. :/

Also, while a decent attempt :P only conveys a "tongue-out drooling-like-a-dog" face not the more optimal "I am sticking my tongue out at you" face (or Shakespearian "I bite my thumb at you sir")