Dear Patrick and Alix, Smilies?  

}:-D
Only if we also get avatars!

I think
we are blessed to have an emoticon-free board. Although I confess to using them on occasion when they are available (they're not offered on my own e-mail account, thank heaven) I think they are a questionable advantage -- mostly used to counter an imagined negative reaction from one's readers, aren't they ? If we can't manage that with actual words -- including a full range of punctuation -- then perhaps we need practice in imaginative and expressive writing ? I'm sure I do. . .!
I recognize that something is lacking in silent verbal communication. I just don't like having to suffer a kindergarten-kitsch/fast-food world of visual crutches to fill the gap.
Now, if an industrious DA reader wishes to design a superior set of Smilies -- anything but yellow discs, for starters ! -- I'd entertain a change of mind. Call me grumpy if you must. . .

.
Avatars, on the other hand, would be fun. I for one certainly haven't been able to figure out how to import one when that option is offered, however.

.
I agree with SDR, has anyone looked at their own handwriting lately? I'm sure mine isn't the only illegible scrawl. Too many shortcuts in this world.
The simplicity of this forum is good, I'm not dyslexic but when I look on the v-bulletin layout I can't make out a thing, too much going on.
I think the forum is going pretty swimmingly, I looked through all the Sarah Palin posts and was suprised how tame things really were, except for the gallic partisan its all been pretty civilised, for a topic that could have got very nasty.

I
think what would help to invoke some emotion, without cheesey smiley faces, would be underline, italic and bold editing functions ...

Yes, please
no horrible stupid smiley faces.
Thank you very much

:F
Why not used character-based emoticons, e.g.-- :), :(, :D?
I generally like that this message board is free of graphic emoticons and avatars. I would like to have the option to use a little html, though, for underlining and such.

Agree with that would help...
Agree with that would help to invoke some emotion, and that emoticons it,s not the way.
As SDR said "perhaps we need practice in imaginative and expressive writing".
Some here are excellent writers, and some should use this talent writing professionally, for the rest of us just practice!
For those non English mother tongue, that ,,lacking in silent verbal communication,, is even higher.
But perhasps just use more the character-based emoticons.
What about a diccionary of those?
I just understand
🙂 . . . smile
🙁 . . . sad
😉 . . . (how do you say that in English?)
Brent:
}:-D
:F
I vote you as the DA designer character-based emoticons!!. 🙂 🙂
(Or just to teach us in some classes!) huahuahauahua
And as Brent and Robert said, add underline bold, and 2 or 3 letter-print-type sizes.
Other thing, I know that tiny changes in DA are a lot of effort and not free.
But when many of the users use some types appears: ????????????????????????
Ie., at least with this three ones:
... ? so use . . .
" ? so use ,,
' ? so use ,
But if forget to use it, fortunately we can edit them later now!
(perhaps is a problem of some of our computers, I mean the keyboard or something like that)
Ps: The word program I use correct me all the 🙂 by it,s own emoticon every time I type them!

I love the graphic free...
I love the graphic free simple element to this board as well. It helps those who visit frequently at work too! That way, there is nothing visually noticeable to those several feet away. With nothing but text, I could be looking at work related stuff for all they know!
However, I like the idea of one day having miniature "profiles." This would allow a little info, like a location, perhaps one photo and a blurb...

As someone who needs them...
As someone who needs them more than most of you, please, NO EMOTICONS, with the possible exception maybe of an earned grumpy-face, to be used exclusively by SDR.

I'm
the *king* of grumpy. . .

How do you translate that?
🙂 + 🙁
=
:-I
?

If I were to misunderstand someone's post,
to the point of being offended or angered, I think I'd only be MORE irritated if a smiley face were tacked to the end-- it'd read as a gratuitous smirk.

WHC
WHC - if an uneducated rube like you can't tell the difference between a smiley and a smirk maybe you shouldnt be participating here in the first place. 😀