jurjen@cwi.nl (Jurjen N.E. Bos) (02/24/88)
Hi there,
I see everybody in all different newsgroups use the :-) sign.
What I'm interested in:
- where does it come from?
- who invented it?
- is it special for computer users (because ASCII) or used in a broader
circuit?
- is it an imitation of some thing (I know people using <) to represent
an eye).
I like the sign, and I am interested in etymology by hobby only.
-- Jurjen.terry@wsccs.UUCP (terry) (03/04/88)
In article <7512@boring.cwi.nl>, jurjen@cwi.nl (Jurjen N.E. Bos) writes: > > Hi there, > I see everybody in all different newsgroups use the :-) sign. > What I'm interested in: > - where does it come from? BIX. It is a "BIXie". > - who invented it? What's-her-name ... you know. Actually, you sould ask wes@obie (see my mail path). He knows. He's a BIX user (BIX-iot?). I will be a BIX user when it is free to me. > - is it special for computer users (because ASCII) or used in a broader > circuit? I don't remember this gracing personal mail... seriously, I think it is a computer phenomen, attributable to the more relaxed and verbose atmosphere of computer mail. With the volume of stuff going through a net node, computer-conferencing (such as you are involved in now) is more like a face-to-face conversation. ":-)" is a facial expression. > - is it an imitation of some thing (I know people using <) to represent > an eye). It is a "grin" or "smiley", usually referring to 'wry humor'. You will see one following puns, sometimes. > I like the sign, and I am interested in etymology by hobby only. > -- Jurjen. Well, add these to your collection: >:-) Evil smiley - someone has made a mistake and I have flamed him. ;-) Winking smiley - the foregoing comment was tongue-in-cheek. >;-) I have just abused a user who has posted to unix.wizards by telling him the way to get another page in "more" is to type control-M... He shouldn't have asked the question there. >O,o< Bill the (cat) BIXie. [:-) Frank-n-BIXie (O,-) A knowing wink :^) Trying to get your nose out of joint. Ignore me. !-) Either another wink or a Cylon. Not sure. |-) A smug, cheese-eating grin. :-} Another evil grin; alternately, a female BIXie (lips). :-{} Another female BIXie; better articulated lipstick. (@.@) Stoned/paranoid/overworked BIXie (circled around eyes) (O,@) BIXie with blacked eye. :-o Oh. :*) Bozo the BIXie. (+,+) Plastered BIXie. Also (x,x). (:~ Elephant BIXie. For you Hazeltine folks, the trunk's a tilde. :-] Robo-BIXie (just a guess) :-)= BIXie in bow tie. ?-) Somebody calls this winking. On a VT series terminal, it looks like a dalmation or spot-the-BIXie. I might also vote for pirate. 8-) The google-eyed BIXie. Makes me think of Nermal. Using more than one line is cheating. Everyone can make nifty things with 1024 x 1280. 8-3 (English BIXie). | Terry Lambert UUCP: ...!decvax!utah-cs!century!terry | | @ Century Software or : ...utah-cs!uplherc!sp7040!obie!wsccs!terry | | SLC, Utah | | These opinions are not my companies, but if you find them | | useful, send a $20.00 donation to Brisbane Australia... | | 'There are monkey boys in the facility. Do not be alarmed; you are secure' |
mwm@eris (Mike (My watch has windows) Meyer) (03/08/88)
In article <251@wsccs.UUCP> terry@wsccs.UUCP (terry) writes: <In article <7512@boring.cwi.nl>, jurjen@cwi.nl (Jurjen N.E. Bos) writes: <> <> Hi there, <> I see everybody in all different newsgroups use the :-) sign. <> What I'm interested in: <> - where does it come from? < < BIX. It is a "BIXie". That's odd. I recall seeing flames on the ARPANet (yes, it was still the ARPANet then) about "that idiotic smiley face in messages from bangland" before Byte ever introduced BIX. Maybe BIX routes things through Gallifrey? <> - who invented it? < < What's-her-name ... you know. Actually, you sould ask wes@obie <(see my mail path). He knows. He's a BIX user (BIX-iot?). I will be a <BIX user when it is free to me. A quick check with the local network wizard (or net.god to those on ABUSENet) gets "Somebody at St. Olaf, maybe. BIX? Hah!" Of course, it's possible that the creator on USENet is now mostly seen on BIX. <> - is it an imitation of some thing (I know people using <) to represent <> an eye). < < It is a "grin" or "smiley", usually referring to 'wry humor'. You <will see one following puns, sometimes. It's orginal use was to indicate that the preceeding/following was "a joke - I'm only kidding - don't get mad!" It has since been used to indicate "I'd be smiling if we were ftf & I said this." I suspect the original was inspired by the ARPANetisms "=~" (flame on) and "=-" (flame off) and similar from the period. <mike -- Cats will be cats and cats will be cool Mike Meyer Cats can be callous and cats can be cruel mwm@berkeley.edu Cats will be cats, remember this words! ucbvax!mwm Cats will be cats and cats eat birds. mwm@ucbjade.BITNET
amos@taux01.UUCP (Amos Shapir) (03/14/88)
I remember seeing it in an article in Readers Digest *in the late 60's*, i.e. before networks existed; there it meant 'tongue in cheek'. I dont remember what was the original that R.D. was quoting. :-) is probably as old as the typewriter... -- Amos Shapir (My other cpu is a NS32532) National Semiconductor (Israel) 6 Maskit st. P.O.B. 3007, Herzlia 46104, Israel Tel. +972 52 522261 amos%taux01@nsc.com 34 48 E / 32 10 N