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樓主 / 凌兒。
- 時間: 2014-7-03 21:34
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- 時間: 2014-7-03 21:37Emoticon Etiquette and Guidelines
Many of us spend most of our day connecting with other people electronically. We email clients and customers, even our own coworkers and employees. Remote positions are becoming increasingly popular all over the world. Some office workers usetext messaging from their computer to converse rather than walk the length of a building. Even a large part of our social interaction takes place through electronic means where text is necessary.
Unfortunately, a certain amount of information is lost through text. We are not able to convey our body language, tone, or inflection. The recipient of your message can’t see the corners of your mouth curl in amusement or the bored expression on your face. Punctuation only goes so far when you want to express nuance. Through email and text messages everyone sounds mean. In fact, studies show that people have a natural negativity bias toward email.
Still, a better method of communicating and leaving messages hasn’t come about yet. Emoticons (symbols that loosely depict the human face) have made their way from text messages between friends to formal business correspondence. But do smiley faces, frowns, and winking eyes undermine our credibility?
Some feel that they are childish, a lazy way of communicating that encourages users to forgo good word choices in favor of simple images. When used on their own, emoticons commit the same offense as poorly constructed text: they fail to transmit essential information. But when they are used infrequently and carefully, they can offer your reader a bit more insight into your thoughts.
Here are some guidelines on using emoticons in professional correspondence.
Smiles never work if you’re trying to assign work, ask someone to stay late, or otherwise get them to do something they wouldn’t want. They appear like you’re trying to convince them to be happy, which is disingenuous. Emoticons convey your meaning, they don’t impose emotion.Stick to the smiley face. The more complex emoticons are too specific for business correspondence for the same reason you don’t reveal everything you’re thinking in your office. Even the frowning face is unnecessary. If you are displeased, keep it to yourself or use your words. Frowning faces are too easily perceived as pouting or whining.Use unconverted emotions. There’s a difference between a paired colon and parenthesis versus an actual smiling face. One looks like clever punctuation, an appendix to your writing. The other looks like you’re adding images. Many email clients and text messaging apps have an option to leave your emotions unconverted.Only use emoticons with people whom you are familiar. Like most writing, text messages and emails between strangers should be kept formal until you both learn each other’s dispositions. You’ll find that emoticons are better received when you use them with your family, friends, and regular coworkers.
Until we develop a medium of communication better than text, our messages will always lacksomething. Emoticons may be used to fill that void, but you should use them sparingly and only when you can’t find the words to convey your tone. -
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- 時間: 2014-7-03 21:53Why are emoticons important?
One of the few areas of online communication that doesn't seem to attract much attention from forumowners or users alike is the effective use of emoticons to enhance online communication.
Communication - textual or verbal - is not only about sharing information but also carries an inherent emotional aspect with it. Whether we appreciate it or not, we are subtly influenced by the use of non-verbal cues to interpret communication in real life. The same goes for online communication as well. We always try to "complete" the communication from all aspects and apart from the informational value carried in messages, we also look for the emotional cues that lie beneath.
Classification of emoticons and how they affect online communication
I tend to think of emoticons as the "visual" aspect of online communication that gives us emotional cues. There are two broad categories of emotional messages that an emoticon can carry: positive or negative. Each has its own use in online communication and I'll try to explain them in more specific detail here.
A more detailed classification would be:Emotion "sharing" emoticons - positive/negative. ( , , , , etc.)Cue emoticons confused:, , , etc.)Ornamental emoticons (all custom/animated emoticons)However, bear in mind that because of the widespread and careless use of emoticons these days, certain smilies have almost zero emotional content while certain other non-standard emoticons just serve as amusement value for the end users and don't have much effect in delivering emotional messages. Standard emoticons are generally more effective because they are visually simple and have a direct relation to facial expressions of different kinds.
Many of my explanations are based on subjective analysis and experience and have no backing by objective research. But with experience, I'm sure many forum users will agree that emoticons are definitely an important aspect of online communication.
Basic emoticons and their underlying emotional messages
Happy Smile
The most common emoticon, the happy smile is essentially positive in nature and conveys cheer. The important thing is to note that it should be used only when you would generally smile at the other person while delivering a message. Use of this icon in contradictory situations - namely while delivering negative or aggressive messages can easily be spotted - and will annoy everybody. The excessive use of the smile is also an irritation, so use this only to enhance the friendly tone of a message and not to tone down aggression.
Situations to use in: thanking somebody, generally sharing a greeting, welcoming messages and in other light, humourous banter where warmth is to be conveyed.Cheesy/toothy Grin
This is a very positive emoticon, but has a different connotation from the common smile icon. This should generally be used sparing to have maximum effect and should be used mainly for sharing humour and goodwill and never as a sarcastic device. Because of its high potential for emotional content, this should be used only in positive communication.
Situations to use in: sharing and enjoying humour, exuding goodwill and in light-hearted banter.Cheeky/Tongue
This is another positive emoticon, but has the ability to be interpreted negatively, especially when the message is slightly sarcastic in tone. However, different rendering of this emoticon may have a different effect (see the phpBB version of this to see the difference). While you might interpret the message as a joke, the use of this smiley might convey that you're ridiculing the other party, although mildly. Hence should be used carefully and only when the whole message is absolutely clear.
Situations to use in: mainly in positive tongue-in-cheek humour or in light banter. Almost never in sarcastic messages and messages which can be interpreted in a negative light.Sad/unhappy
This icon might be seen as a negative icon in certain situations, but is almost never aggressive in nature and can be used generally as a way to share unhappiness. However, this icon is best used only in situations where the user is more unhappy with himself/herself than with others. But care needs to be used to make sure that you don't come across as pathetic, especially when asking for help. So it's best avoided when you seek help.
Situations to use in: Non-aggressive sadness/unhappiness. More effectively used to convey the passive emotion than to share it actively with others.Angry/aggressive
This is one of the most aggressive emoticons that there is, mainly because of the intensity of the expression (the frown and the curled lip). This is very effectively used by trolls to stir up emotions, especially as a means to rebuke others. Use very carefully and almost always in showing your anger at impersonal situations or things rather than people. When the message is extremely aggressive in tone, this strengthens the aggression.
Situations to use in: Best in showing anger at impersonal situations. Also used effectively in communicating that you're heated at the moment and don't wish to discuss a particularly sensitive subject any more.Rolling eyes
One of the most powerful smilies in delivering emotional impact - more than the aggressive emoticon - because of the way it's designed. It has a way of stirring up negativity when used as a weapon of cutting contempt (when delivering extremely contemptuous or overbearing messages). Be careful when you intend only mild sarcasm because it strengthens the "contempt" and "overbearing" element in the message. Also used effectively by trolls in ridiculing good, logical arguments.
Situations to use in: Any message where you need to show heavy sarcasm or cutting contempt and an overbearing attitude. Needless to say, use sparingly at best and in an impersonal context.Other emoticons with lesser emotional potential
Cue emoticons:
Certain other standard emoticons at best have a mildly amusing or positive influence. Some of them are the , , and . These are generally not as impactful as the basic emoticons. Most of these are not "shared" in the communication but merely as symbols of certain obvious feelings. They are used as highlights to clarify a certain mindset during the communication rather than sharing an emotion.
Ornamental emoticons:
The non-standard emoticons also have little emotional content and serve more as amusement elements, particularly animated ones like . In general, the more complex the emoticon, the less emotional content it carries. That's because the mind doesn't really interpret the emotional aspect of the icon but takes it as amusement. So these icons are used as mildly positive elements in communication, but are not really essential.
Conclusion
The importance of visual cues in communication, verbal or non-verbal, cannot be over-emphasized. Even in online communication, our minds tend to "fill up the missing pieces of the puzzle" and emoticons, if used wisely, can help the communication to convey and enhance the underlying emotional aspects of the communication.
Bear also in mind that this is subjective and the impact will vary depending on the actual quality of the text communication as well as the mindset of the receiver. The key is to used emoticons sparingly and accurately in context to have maximum potential impact. -
- 時間: 2014-7-03 22:55
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- 時間: 2014-7-03 23:01
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- 時間: 2014-7-03 23:13
凌兒。 寫道:Why are emoticons important?
One of the few areas of online communication that doesn't seem to attract much attention from forumowners or users alike is the effective use of emoticons to enhance online communication.
Communication - textual or verbal - is not only about sharing information but also carries an inherent emotional aspect with it. Whether we appreciate it or not, we are subtly influenced by the use of non-verbal cues to interpret communication in real life. The same goes for online communication as well. We always try to "complete" the communication from all aspects and apart from the informational value carried in messages, we also look for the emotional cues that lie beneath.
Classification of emoticons and how they affect online communication
I tend to think of emoticons as the "visual" aspect of online communication that gives us emotional cues. There are two broad categories of emotional messages that an emoticon can carry: positive or negative. Each has its own use in online communication and I'll try to explain them in more specific detail here.
A more detailed classification would be:Emotion "sharing" emoticons - positive/negative. ( , , , , etc.)Cue emoticons confused:, , , etc.)Ornamental emoticons (all custom/animated emoticons)However, bear in mind that because of the widespread and careless use of emoticons these days, certain smilies have almost zero emotional content while certain other non-standard emoticons just serve as amusement value for the end users and don't have much effect in delivering emotional messages. Standard emoticons are generally more effective because they are visually simple and have a direct relation to facial expressions of different kinds.
Many of my explanations are based on subjective analysis and experience and have no backing by objective research. But with experience, I'm sure many forum users will agree that emoticons are definitely an important aspect of online communication.
Basic emoticons and their underlying emotional messages
Happy Smile
The most common emoticon, the happy smile is essentially positive in nature and conveys cheer. The important thing is to note that it should be used only when you would generally smile at the other person while delivering a message. Use of this icon in contradictory situations - namely while delivering negative or aggressive messages can easily be spotted - and will annoy everybody. The excessive use of the smile is also an irritation, so use this only to enhance the friendly tone of a message and not to tone down aggression.
Situations to use in: thanking somebody, generally sharing a greeting, welcoming messages and in other light, humourous banter where warmth is to be conveyed.Cheesy/toothy Grin
This is a very positive emoticon, but has a different connotation from the common smile icon. This should generally be used sparing to have maximum effect and should be used mainly for sharing humour and goodwill and never as a sarcastic device. Because of its high potential for emotional content, this should be used only in positive communication.
Situations to use in: sharing and enjoying humour, exuding goodwill and in light-hearted banter.Cheeky/Tongue
This is another positive emoticon, but has the ability to be interpreted negatively, especially when the message is slightly sarcastic in tone. However, different rendering of this emoticon may have a different effect (see the phpBB version of this to see the difference). While you might interpret the message as a joke, the use of this smiley might convey that you're ridiculing the other party, although mildly. Hence should be used carefully and only when the whole message is absolutely clear.
Situations to use in: mainly in positive tongue-in-cheek humour or in light banter. Almost never in sarcastic messages and messages which can be interpreted in a negative light.Sad/unhappy
This icon might be seen as a negative icon in certain situations, but is almost never aggressive in nature and can be used generally as a way to share unhappiness. However, this icon is best used only in situations where the user is more unhappy with himself/herself than with others. But care needs to be used to make sure that you don't come across as pathetic, especially when asking for help. So it's best avoided when you seek help.
Situations to use in: Non-aggressive sadness/unhappiness. More effectively used to convey the passive emotion than to share it actively with others.Angry/aggressive
This is one of the most aggressive emoticons that there is, mainly because of the intensity of the expression (the frown and the curled lip). This is very effectively used by trolls to stir up emotions, especially as a means to rebuke others. Use very carefully and almost always in showing your anger at impersonal situations or things rather than people. When the message is extremely aggressive in tone, this strengthens the aggression.
Situations to use in: Best in showing anger at impersonal situations. Also used effectively in communicating that you're heated at the moment and don't wish to discuss a particularly sensitive subject any more.Rolling eyes
One of the most powerful smilies in delivering emotional impact - more than the aggressive emoticon - because of the way it's designed. It has a way of stirring up negativity when used as a weapon of cutting contempt (when delivering extremely contemptuous or overbearing messages). Be careful when you intend only mild sarcasm because it strengthens the "contempt" and "overbearing" element in the message. Also used effectively by trolls in ridiculing good, logical arguments.
Situations to use in: Any message where you need to show heavy sarcasm or cutting contempt and an overbearing attitude. Needless to say, use sparingly at best and in an impersonal context.Other emoticons with lesser emotional potential
Cue emoticons:
Certain other standard emoticons at best have a mildly amusing or positive influence. Some of them are the , , and . These are generally not as impactful as the basic emoticons. Most of these are not "shared" in the communication but merely as symbols of certain obvious feelings. They are used as highlights to clarify a certain mindset during the communication rather than sharing an emotion.
Ornamental emoticons:
The non-standard emoticons also have little emotional content and serve more as amusement elements, particularly animated ones like . In general, the more complex the emoticon, the less emotional content it carries. That's because the mind doesn't really interpret the emotional aspect of the icon but takes it as amusement. So these icons are used as mildly positive elements in communication, but are not really essential.
Conclusion
The importance of visual cues in communication, verbal or non-verbal, cannot be over-emphasized. Even in online communication, our minds tend to "fill up the missing pieces of the puzzle" and emoticons, if used wisely, can help the communication to convey and enhance the underlying emotional aspects of the communication.
Bear also in mind that this is subjective and the impact will vary depending on the actual quality of the text communication as well as the mindset of the receiver. The key is to used emoticons sparingly and accurately in context to have maximum potential impact.
這麼長一段您都看完了？ -
- 時間: 2014-7-04 11:14
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- 時間: 2014-7-04 15:50
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- 時間: 2014-7-04 16:16
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- 時間: 2014-7-04 16:52
表情符
