Getting Started with E-mail Page 9
Emoticons
One of the drawbacks to e-mail is that it arrives lacking facial
expressions, body language and vocal cues that richly color most human
conversation. Humor, sarcasm and double entendres - best delivered with
a smile, a raised eyebrow or smirk - often fall flat or are taken
literally in e-mail exchanges.
Emoticons, also referred to as smileys, are short sequences of keyboard
letters and symbols used to convey emotion, gesture, or expressions that
could not otherwise be derived from mere text. Try not to use too many
emoticons as not every e-mail user if familiar with their meaning.
| Emoticon | Meaning |
|---|---|
:-) |
Happy |
:-( |
Sad or Angry |
;-) |
Wink |
:-O |
Shocked |
:-> |
Devilish |
:-w |
Sarcasm or Insult |
:-/ |
Hmmmm... |
$-) |
Just won the lottery |
Abbreviations
While smileys add personality to your messages, abbreviations save keystrokes. Again, try not to use too many abbreviations and when you do use the, stick to those that are most commonly used by others.
BFN Bye for now |
IMHO In my humble opinion |