Re: Re: suggestion

Perhaps we should ban body language too.
;) = "winking smiley face"

In a message dated 1/15/99 4:33:34 PM, coder@acnet.net wrote:

<<This suggests that there is nothing we can do about it. Of

course languages grow and change (I presume you were being

metaphorical in calling it a "living thing"). The question

is, are "emoticons" helpful or hurtful to our language and

our culture (whichever language and culture you happen to be

part of)?



I stand by my original contention that emoticons cheapen the

language. And because I believe there is a strong connection

between what we can express and what we can experience, I

think that things that cheapen our language also cheapen our

experience of life. And I think that we, as a society, are

NOT helpless with regard to changes in our languages, our

cultures, our ways of life. I vote for consciously choosing

our behaviors after thinking about their ramifications. So

far, I've not been too impressed with the laissez faire

method of growing cultures (of people, that is... let's

leave my refrigerator out of this). Why not take an active

role? If I can boycott company A's products or company B's

services, I can certainly boycott emoticons.



I am all for changing and improving the language. That's why

I don't like emoticons. I don't think that they are an

improvement.



But I appear to be in the minority on this subject.>>

Received on Friday, 15 January 1999 17:44:07 UTC