mental_floss magazine
SUBSCRIBE >
GIFT SUBSCRIPTIONS >
DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTIONS >
subscriber services >
It’s hard to remember a time when emoticons weren’t part of our typed vernacular. Those rascally graphics, which have been a boon to the chiropractic industry, exploded on the chat scene with a simple sideways smile.
But where did it come from? What are its origins? Did emoticons just naturally develop with our zeitgeist in all pockets of the Internet simultaneously? Sorta like cave drawings thousands of year before?
According to Scott Fahlman, who claims to have first used an emoticon in September, 1982 on a Carnegie Mellon University bulletin board system, he, and some others at the school, were having trouble expressing their emotions in type. Often, sarcasm would be misinterpreted, which sometimes caused serious problems (as any of us who’ve written emails to our in-laws can attest).
As Fahlman says on his website:
It occurred to me that the character sequence “:-)” would be an elegant solution – one that could be handled by the ASCII-based computer terminals of the day. So I suggested that. In the same post, I also suggested the use of “:-(” to indicate that a message was meant to be taken seriously, though that symbol quickly evolved into a marker for displeasure, frustration, or anger.
That problem solved, what about expressing our emotions when driving? A honk of the horn can only say so much, after all. Well, in the great tradition of baby-on-board signs, we now have the Driv-e-mocion: easily mounted in your rear window and controllable via wireless remote.
Ahh, what will they smile upon next?
Comments (7)
Comment
Let’s see…I’m juggling a cup of hot drink, putting on my mascara, talking to one of my very best friends on my cell phone, driving with one knee and my elbow and now I’m going to emote electronically through my rear window…sorry, I think I’ve run out of appendages for doing that. My emotional communications will continue to be a short honk for “watch out”, a honk, honk for “hey!” and a long HONK for “what the heck are you thinking”.
posted by Jan Bodine on 7-19-2006 at 12:25 pm
I hate to be the fuddy-duddy to rain on the parade, but we cops have a reputation for ruining everyone’s fun. It should be noted that these light systems would likely be deemed illegal in our state as well as some others. Our traffic laws regulate against flashing lights on a vehicle in motion if it is not an emergency vehicle (brake lights and turn indicators excepted). For the legal geeks, it would be Wisconsin S.S. 347.07(2)(c).
posted by Jeff Kirchman on 7-19-2006 at 12:35 pm
dude this is a great idea… id def buy one
posted by Randy on 7-19-2006 at 4:40 pm
rough! well, we can file it in the idea graveyard, with all the other brilliant ideas that never made it. like sliced jelly and protective eyewear for chickens.
posted by Mangesh on 7-19-2006 at 4:58 pm
Much nicer than the sign an old geezer flashed at me years ago: “TOO CLOSE, TOO CLOSE, TOO CLOSE”.
posted by Mel on 7-20-2006 at 1:10 am
I’d rather get a pa system and tell them myself.
posted by Scotty Shaffer on 7-20-2006 at 6:09 pm
it’d be allote eaiser than putin a finger or a fist out the window
posted by lily chambers on 7-26-2006 at 6:20 pm