How emoticons and single-line text-based art can be used in communication

15 February, 2013

These days many people are using emoticons, akin to smiley emotions, and single-line text-based art to communicate and express themselves. This kind of communication began with the use of computers in late 1970s and early 1980s. It is held that the limitation of computers of that time necessitated the use of text characters to represent images and emotions but it has become a main stay of communication and more so on the social networking sites.

Emoticons, like smiley, are also one of the ASCII art. Consider the creation of :-) and :-( to represent smile and sadness first by Scott Fahlman in the early 1980s to depict emotions. The word 'Emoticon' is a portmanteau (a combination of two or more words) word of the English words emotion and icon.

An emoticon is a pictorial representation or the visual symbol of a facial expression using punctuation marks, numbers and letters is usually written to express a person's feelings or mood using the digital key board. In the fast age of e-communication, emoticons can add colour to plain text. Thus, emotional graphics - the visual ways to express the way you feel - are quick ways to express yourself with typing the words.

The popularity of digital forms of emoticons on the internet led to inventing single line text-based art by the common users called ASCII art. Both, emoticons and single line ASCII art are seen by turning the held along the line.

Those who have better visual intelligence, create ASCII art in many ways. However, one can use emoticons and the simplest ASCII art for messaging when when words alone are just not enough. For example, a fish can be represented by ><> or ><(((('> and a heart by a heart by <3.

Here are ten emoticons and five single line ASCII art depictions for you.

As an emoticon...

Smile is typed as :-) or :)
Open-mouthed is typed as :-D or :d
Surprised is typed as :-O or :o
Tongue out is typed as :-P or :p
Wink is typed as ;-) or ;)
Sad is typed as :-( or :(
Confused is typed as      :-S or :s
Disappointed is typed as:-| or :|
Crying is typed as :'(
Embarrassed is typed as :-$ or :$
Angry is typed as :-@ or :@

As a single line ASCII art...

Fish is typed as ><(((('>
Mouse is typed as ----{,_,">
Kissing faces are typed as (-}{-)
Bat is typed as \-o-/
Snail is typed as __@/