Additional Emoticons?

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 8:07 pm

It occurred to me just now, as I longingly wished for a devil smilie...
is there any chance at all that GB's repertoire of smilies could be expanded?

I am especially fond of the thought of being able to insert devil and angel smilies into my posts

If it's not possible, I understand though. Just a random thought..

Hill-Shatar · Post by **Hill-Shatar** » Sun Oct 30, 2005 9:31 pm

I know that some site owners who wanted to get extra smilies got them from <link no longer works, removed>, but I don't know if that site still has useable emoticons. Or from the accessible downloads...

However, Buck removed IMG coding for good reasons, therefore the ability to add such things became impossible for the typical user. I know that the site uses default smilies from VB. Is it possible top add one or two smilies to that group?

Although I see why if you do not... if you allow some, then pretty soon all users will be annoying you for personal emoticons.

EDIT- Never mind, I just read up on it. I know that it is somewhat simple... would you mind doing so? I wouldn't mind an angel smilie myself...

Could we just get one or two more, if it is not too much of a problem?

Fiona · Post by **Fiona** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:28 am

This is something I have wished for and I sometimes post a link to a particular smilie, though I cannot import them directly. This is not only for fun (though it is fun). I am still new to boards and I have found it is surprisingly easy to be misunderstood in the absence of non-verbal cues. That is presumably why smilies exist. A wider range would allow for more subtlety.

There are sites with free smileys you are allowed to use. Could they be enabled here somehow ? I don't understand the technical difficulties but it happens on other forums I visit.

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 2:58 am

[QUOTE=Fiona]This is something I have wished for and I sometimes post a link to a particular smilie, though I cannot import them directly. This is not only for fun (though it is fun). I am still new to boards and I have found it is surprisingly easy to be misunderstood in the absence of non-verbal cues. That is presumably why smilies exist. A wider range would allow for more subtlety.

There are sites with free smileys you are allowed to use. Could they be enabled here somehow ? I don't understand the technical difficulties but it happens on other forums I visit.[/QUOTE]

Well, I doubt increasing the amount of emoticons would help to avoid misunderstandings.
Misunderstandings comes from the fact that this is a written media, and it will continue to be written even if you attach several emoticons.
Sure adding a "smilie" at the end of a sentence might ensure it is taken more lightly by some people, however, an emoticon will never alter the written meaning. A flame is still a flame irregardless of a number of smiling faces after it. It might be ment in jest by the author, but just like in real life with bodylanguage and facial expressions, you can't assume that the recipient will interprete your emotiocon as you do. People misunderstand each other all the time in real life as well.

Misunderstandings also comes from the fact that we aren't all native english speakers, which is why typing out ones meaning is the best things we have to avoid misunderstandings, and not some small emoticons.

That being said, I'd be neither for nor against more emoticons, I rarely use any other then the one we have here at other sites either.

Hill-Shatar · Post by **Hill-Shatar** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:33 pm

I see your points about smilies not meaning much to what we are saying. I remember a small debate about what the '

' smilie meant. Was it a sign of happiness or politeness? This could be easily interpreted with other smilies.

however, if I say, for example...

Your a crazy fool.

Instead of...

Your a crazy fool.

Well, the obvious could always be misinterpreted by the first person, the second one puts more of a spin on it, making it a joke.

In this case, an angel/ devil smilie may be used more in joking... I remember someone talking about the DS in the KotOR forums (I will try to find the link) and complaining about not finding a devil smilie.

Some of us have actions in day to day life that lead to use using some written tools to improvise over the use of smilies. I know I do daily in emails to other people in the lab, or when talking to the administrator of the building, and so on. however, others have never had to use non verbal cues in their lives, so hearing something that was intended as sarcasm without the rollseyes smilie (one that we do have) could be taken as an insult.

I do not like using smilies in large debating posts, as it takes time, but I do find it useful for shorter posts in gaming forums to be polite and the like. So, I would not mind having some more so that some emotional states or jokes could come across more as they were intended, other than having to improvise.

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 5:48 pm

I know this debate has occurred in SYM, so I'll be brief.

IMO, smilies can and do sometimes help to clarify meaning, especially on an international board such as this where cultural and language differences are present.

Mostly though, I raised the subject just because I thought a few extra smilies might be fun. Before, I simply used the IMG tags to borrow smilies from other places, but of course that is no longer an option, understandably enough.

Hill-Shatar · Post by **Hill-Shatar** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 8:37 pm

I just think it would be fun to have an angel smilie to abuse at will, personally... and a devil.

Adds a little perk to the site, you know?

Xandax · Post by **Xandax** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:12 pm

[QUOTE=Hill-Shatar]I see your points about smilies not meaning much to what we are saying. I remember a small debate about what the '

' smilie meant. Was it a sign of happiness or politeness? This could be easily interpreted with other smilies.

however, if I say, for example...

Your a crazy fool.

Instead of...

Your a crazy fool.
<snip>[/QUOTE]

I'd say it is more in the context of the thread which decides how "you are a crazy fool" is taken in.
In a serious thread, you can place many simlies after the statement and I'd still expect people to take it more seriously, then if you in a non-serious/social thread said it without the smilies.

But it was not to open this debate again, just to say that smilies wasn't the main tool to avoid miscommunication, as suggested by the post which I replied to a little up.

Hill-Shatar · Post by **Hill-Shatar** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 11:48 pm

[QUOTE=Xandax]But it was not to open this debate again, just to say that smilies wasn't the main tool to avoid miscommunication, as suggested by the post which I replied to a little up.[/QUOTE]

I understand, and it was not my intention to open that up again ... but I said above that mostly for me, it would be a perk.

C Elegans · Post by **C Elegans** » Tue Nov 01, 2005 9:48 pm

I think smilies are completely useless for avoiding misunderstandings as well as for any serious communication. The reason for this, is simply that the possible interpretations of a small graphic figure like

are more, and more ambigious, than typing out a number of words. I also agree with Xandax that a smiley does not change the meaning of words, the context does.

That said, I like smilies for light social conversation and for brief joke posts, so if possible, I would think it would be nice with some additional emoticons. Personally I'd like a suspicious looking one, a really happy looking one and a very angry one. That would be cute. It is however a totally unimportant issue to me.

Galuf the Dwarf · Post by **Galuf the Dwarf** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:02 pm

[QUOTE=C Elegans]I think smilies are completely useless for avoiding misunderstandings as well as for any serious communication. The reason for this, is simply that the possible interpretations of a small graphic figure like

are more, and more ambigious, than typing out a number of words. I also agree with Xandax that a smiley does not change the meaning of words, the context does.

That said, I like smilies for light social conversation and for brief joke posts, so if possible, I would think it would be nice with some additional emoticons. Personally I'd like a suspicious looking one, a really happy looking one and a very angry one. That would be cute. It is however a totally unimportant issue to me.[/QUOTE]

I agree with this completely. I've had plenty of instances where I had to PM someone (here or on other boards) about the intentions of their post only to find out that they really meant something else. People's ethics and regional culture may greatly affect their interpretations of words and posts.

Besides, the tone of people's post may not entirely be seen as how it may sound when spoken. We're forced to supply our own interpretation of the person's voice in that instance, and that can cause some problems. Besides, one World of Warcraft player once said something to me along the likes of "Listen to the tones of my post, lol." Yeah, right.

Post by **BuckGB** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 8:15 pm

I rarely use smilies myself, but I can definitely understand the need for more variety for those of you who do. Instead of just blindly uploading a huge assortment of them, though, I'd rather add a handful of them that everyone feels would get the most use.

So... help me out here. For those of you who browse other forums or use smilies in other applications, which ones do you feel would work well here? If you could even give me a link to specific (freeware!) smilies that you'd like to see added, then it would make it a lot easier for me.

Hill-Shatar · Post by **Hill-Shatar** » Wed Nov 02, 2005 9:43 pm

[QUOTE=Buck Satan]If you could even give me a link to specific (freeware!) smilies that you'd like to see added, then it would make it a lot easier for me.[/QUOTE]

Smooth.

I know that some time ago, a site called <link doesnt work, removed>, that I think I posted above. Unfortunately, I do not know if it's smilies are still active, but could make a check for others.

I know that other forums have devil and angel smilies, but others that are typically used are suspicious smilies, undecided smilies, and 'extremely happy smilies'. Most of which could be somewhat or very useful here.

EDIT- I just checked, and the above link appears to have only the 'x' boxes for images that refuse to show. I'll go remove it before anyone clicks on it.

Fiona · Post by **Fiona** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 3:06 am

There's a big selection at this site

http://www.clicksmilies.com/

I particularly like the violin player. One for speechless would be very useful for me too

Eric V · Post by **Eric V** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 12:18 pm

i like this idea, it makes it feel more personal. id like a sick face for all the times i screw up on morrowwind hehehe

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:28 pm

I just noticed the new emoticons.
Very cool! :devil:

:speech:
Sorry... I had to test at least a few out.

Cheers Buck!

Hill-Shatar · Post by **Hill-Shatar** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:31 pm

Thanks Buck!! The new smilies are fatastic!!

We won't abuse them... promise...

Post by **BuckGB** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:37 pm

How do they look? Any requests for additional ones or a different variation for the five I added?

dragon wench · Post by **dragon wench** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:45 pm

They look awesome!

I don't know how much you want to litter the place up, but something like clinking mugs or glasses is fun. Though, I recognise that this is an all ages site, so maybe you don't want to suggest alcohol consumption.

There are some humorous ones out there too. Once I saw an emoticon that involved one smilie giving the other a boot in the derriere, which I thought was cute.

I'll check the link posted above as well..

Hill-Shatar · Post by **Hill-Shatar** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 9:53 pm

Excellent!

I've been through a lot of sites, and I have to admit it is nice to have a non-generic devil. They are everywhere... many sites just seem to copy off of other sites.

I've been through a lot of sites with funny emoticons, but really, a lot are unique, and too many smilies can take away from a place. The current selection is broad, so we should be entertained for a while...

At least, unless DW finds something so unique and useful we will kiss your shoes for it.

Thanks again!