Getting Your Emotions On The Net

As carefully as you might follow the rules of "netiquette", some times words just aren’t enough. That’s why legions of cybersurfers have developed a system of notation that helps shoehorn your emotions into online messages, allowing you to describe physical expressions with text. The first and most obvious of these tools are emoticons-collection of symbols designed to show emotion. The most common emoticon is the smile, shown as :-). (Tilt your head to the left to see it better.) Put that at the end of a sentence, and the reader knows you’ve got a smile on your face as you say whatever it is you’re saying.

Other common emoticons include:

• ;-) - A wink
  
• :-( - A frown
  
• :-o - A surprised look
  
• :-D - A laugh
  
• :-w - Speaking with a forked tongue
  
• :-p - Sticking your tongue out
  
• :-J - A tongue in cheek comment
  
• :*) - Clowning around

Any words encased in parenthesis or the more than/less than signs-for example, also offer emotional designations:

• (Grin)
  
• (Snort)
  
• (Whimper)
  
• (Sigh)

Another way to say a lot with a little is by using the following abbreviations:

• BTW - By the way
  
• IMHO - In my humble opinion
  
• IMNSHO - In my not so humble opinion
  
• FAQ - Frequently asked questions
  
• FYI - For your information
  
• LOL - Laughing out loud
  
• ROFL - Rolling on the floor, laughing
  
• (g) - Grinning
  
• RTFM - Read the freakin manual.