May 25, 2005
Let Your Fingers Do The Talking
Via Witnit, I came across this interesting post by Harvey at Bad Example about finding your blog voice. Harvey's basic thesis is that successful blogging is more a function of mimicked natural speech than formal composition. For the most part, I think this is probably correct, although, as Harvey notes, there are times and places for more traditional essays as well.
Harvey goes on to suggest a number of ways to use the text of a post itself to emphasize the natural rhythms of speech patterns, using spaces, bolding, italics, caps, interjection and so on.
Unfortunately, Harvey drives his subject into the ditch at the end by suggesting that it is okay, indeed at times necessary, to use emoticons as a replacement for the facial expressions impossible to convey in a written format.
Allow me to express my own feelings on the topic:
ARGH! Emoticons are bad!
AIEEE!!!! Emoticons are EVIIIIIIIIL!!!!!
Damn! Emoticons are hellspawn!
We hatesssss the nasssssssty emoticonsssseeessss..........
See? No facial expression necessary!
Posted by Robert at May 25, 2005 03:45 PMAnyway, point taken. It's true that the English language survived without them for hundreds of years and can continue to do so.
However, for those who are not well-versed in the art of "deliberate misspelling for effect" or who don't have the literary talent to tip their hand sufficiently when being sarcastic, it's better than nothing. I've seen too many unnecessary flame wars start for lack of a simple smiley.
So... how do you feel about other textual shortcuts like:
j/k
*g*
[/sarcasm]
etc? Better or worse than emoticons?
Posted by: Harvey at May 25, 2005 04:20 PMThe only trouble with that kind of shortcut is that they can be confusing to people who don't use them - it took me a minute or two to puzzle out your examples.
One of my favorite devices, pinched from Lileks, is the editorial insert. So for example:
[Insert maniacal laughter here]
[Insert sound of sarcastic sniggering here]
Then again, you can always go the simpler Glenn Reynolds route. Heh. Indeed.
Posted by: Robert the LB at May 25, 2005 04:29 PMYou really don't like Emoticons?
That makes me sad. :(
We're not all Lilekses, alas, and the emoticon does have its place in communication. I rarely use them on my blog, but they are sprinkled through my forum posts.
Different styles of language for different forms of communication, yesno?
Posted by: Pixy Misa at May 26, 2005 12:39 AMOh, absolutely. People (well, some of them) speak differently depending on the subject and occassion, and I think that carries over into posting as well.
Posted by: Robert the LB at May 26, 2005 08:29 AMMy personal lack of use of emoticons is due almost entirely on my opinion that I'm just too damn *old* to start using 'em...
Posted by: LDH at May 26, 2005 12:13 PM
