Using too many in a single post is not only obnoxious but seizure-inducing, IMO. There are only so many bright colors I can handle at once. Some people are down with smilie overload (and for the record, I hate
and
).
I understand completely what Nancy is saying -- some people use them in a sarcastic way, others use them in a joking manner, some actually use them to further drive the point of their post home. Fact of the matter remains, very few of us know each other off of this board (especially the new kids who may not totally know our posting style and the way we write) so If I say something and then post
, I may be totally joking but maybe you've taken it literally. I can see where it can cause problems if the wrong type of person stumbled upon the post. JMO, of course. As far as masking, I certainly have never had an issue with throwing my two cents in
