How do I respond to an emoticon?
By Koalemos
@Asylum (47893)
Manchester, England
February 11, 2016 8:41am CST
The use of these little icons is not a concern to me and I have no reason to object to them, although they can be a little perplexing at times. It often confuses me when I add a comment to a discussion and in return receive a small smiley face or one pulling out a tongue.
As far as I was aware these were designed as an aid to text, but somehow the habit of using them alone has become quite popular. If I receive a response to a comment then sometimes I can expand on that and continue the conversation, but when I receive a smiley face or a string of mixed emoticons I am totally at a loss how to react.
Is it just me that has grown old and lost touch with the modern society, or do these confuse others as well?
44 people like this
44 responses
if you don't understand what they are saying. Just an emoticon doesn't exactly inspire further discussion, though, does it?
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
11 Feb 16
@Owlwings I think it depends on who posted it as to whether it inspires further discussion or not.
For example, many a time I have left a ninja or a tongue as a comment to a response by someone I know well and they have come back with a novel as a response to it! 
4 people like this
@marguicha (223720)
• Chile
11 Feb 16
I wholly agree. The emoticon should help a text, not be instead of one.
5 people like this
@Orson_Kart (6827)
• United Kingdom
11 Feb 16
I think they are very difficult to incorporate into a limerick, so I do see your problem. 
1 person likes this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
11 Feb 16
@mysdianait At least there are a couple of words to hint at the meaning there, but without those words it would mean as much as a message in Sanskrit to me.
4 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
11 Feb 16
Only one? 
No need to be stingy as they are all free 
No need to be stingy as they are all free 4 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
11 Feb 16
When I get a totally emoticon response I just like it and move on
6 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
11 Feb 16
@fishtiger58 That is a likely reason, although simply not replying would do the same.
3 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29820)
• Momence, Illinois
11 Feb 16
@Asylum I don't either, so often times that's the end of the conversation. Maybe that's why they do it they want the conversation to end. It certainly works for me.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
11 Feb 16
@sugartoes With my luck I would probably end up with another emoticon to explain it.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
11 Feb 16
@sugartoes There would be no reason or justification in reporting such an incident because these people are doing nothing wrong. It simply happens to be confusing to me.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (168163)
• Boise, Idaho
11 Feb 16
They are cute to use and I appreciate having them as an option. I think a smiley face would be a positive response and I would go forward accordingly.
3 people like this
@allknowing (137591)
• India
12 Feb 16
I almost responded with just a
but that would be too much for a post like this
but that would be too much for a post like this 4 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Feb 16
@allknowing My avatar is just there to fill the time until Valentines Day, when I will be using a special one that I created for the day.
3 people like this
@allknowing (137591)
• India
12 Feb 16
@Asylum When you have made the rule you can no longer do that. Sad but true
What's your avatar upto?
What's your avatar upto?3 people like this
@thesids (22180)
• Bhubaneswar, India
11 Feb 16
These emoticons used to be my fear when I had started out here at Mylot. Back then, we had a few limitations - and we were not allowed to use more than 3. Then one day, a dear friend (who is now missing from MyLot) taught me to overcome the fear. And since that day, I have found them more useful to convey - agreed, many a times, if not always.
Coming to the problem you put up, yes, at times, I too face the same issue - how do I respond to a comment/response with only an emoticon or a set of them. Over time, I realized, if I can, I should return back with another emoticon and if I understand what was being conveyed, I can also type out a response.
5 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Feb 16
While on holiday I used a specially made avatar for Turkey, along with another that I created for travelling in either direction. Naturally these were not appropriate any longer once I arrived home, therefore my avatar required changing.
It is Valentines Day on Sunday and I have created a new avatar just for the day, so I simply needed an avatar to use for the interim 5 days. The genie was selected quickly just to fill the few days in between.
After Sunday I will give a little more thought to which avatar to use again.
3 people like this
(please carry on with the discussion emoticon)
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
11 Feb 16
Alone I don't think they mean much and can't lead to more responses.
5 people like this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
11 Feb 16
@pgiblett I was just being... erm... naughty
4 people like this
@pgiblett (6524)
• Canada
11 Feb 16
@mysdianait So clearly you didn't want a response!
5 people like this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
12 Feb 16
If you do not understand what an emoticon might mean, then you can open up the "myLot code" area, put your cursor over the emoticon and see what it says. Of course, those are not the only possible meanings, but they tend to be the most common uses.
Also, you can look at the emoticon within the context of the discussion. If someone is teasing me, for instance, then I might respond back with the emoticon. That does not necessarily mean that the conversation is over but rather that is my response to the teasing. They can come back with more teasing or another emoticon or change the subject, etc.
emoticon. That does not necessarily mean that the conversation is over but rather that is my response to the teasing. They can come back with more teasing or another emoticon or change the subject, etc.3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Feb 16
@purplealabaster It is never a problem if the emoticons are accompanied by text.
1 person likes this
@purplealabaster (22091)
• United States
12 Feb 16
@Asylum With me, I think you can usually tell from reading the text what I mean. If there is no text, then it should be clear from the previous interactions. I do not generally just respond to random people with only an emoticon, especially if we have not had a lot of previous interaction.
1 person likes this
@divalounger (6117)
• United States
11 Feb 16
I think I have gotten used to them--my kids use them all the time instead of text!
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
11 Feb 16
@divalounger How does someone manage to create a meaning from those things alone?
1 person likes this
@dazzledlady (1618)
• Philippines
11 Feb 16
As a person who is also guilty of using emoticon, I just added it so that the person who is receiving the message would see the message in a light way if its a smiley face. As technology quickly advances, the desire to humanize communication virtually gave birth to the emoticons and stickers if you have observed in any messenger apps we have these days. But , I will never send someone an emoticon alone except if I no longer have anything to respond but is not sure how to end the topic .
3 people like this
@fufurinha (11930)
• Portugal
12 Feb 16
Sometimes I received just a smile in some conversations and that, for me, means that the conversation is over.
2 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Feb 16
@fufurinha I have seen discussions in which someone has submitted an emoticon as a comment and it has been followed by several other members adding similar ones to it, which becomes even more perplexing.
1 person likes this
@fufurinha (11930)
• Portugal
12 Feb 16
@Asylum There isn't a way to respond to a smile. It means that there is nothing else to say
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
11 Feb 16
They are a shortcut. If someone does not feel strongly enough to reply, but wants to send a message (of sorts), then this is what they do. I rarely just use them, but I am a word person. It's hard to shut me up. 
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
12 Feb 16
@ElizabethWallace I also find etymology to be an interesting subject, although I have never studied it as a subject.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
12 Feb 16
@Asylum As is pretty obvious from the length of my posts, I do like words. Studied them in college, so interesting how they developed through time. Historical linguistics was a fun class. Took it in German, French and English.
2 people like this
