online gestures

I think that online gestures are definitely capable of translating to whoever is receiving the message. I haven't read any of the other blogs, but I'm willing to bet that most people have mentioned the effects of the little smiley faces ;), winks ;), and even tongues sticking out :p. The reason we all put them in our messages is because they are useful in conveying our particular attitude. There's a big difference between:

Get your lazy self home right now
(which may be considered a threat)
-vs-
Get your lazy self home right now =)
(which can be considered a friendly joke).

I find the gestures particularly useful when working in groups, especially if there's a lot of online communication involved. Although I don't have any trouble admitting that I can be a demanding person at times, sometimes my online comments come across too strongly to other members of my group. By placing a smiley face or even a heart <3 next to a comment, I can convey a friendly attitude and a willingness to be a flexible member of the team, while at the same time asserting my position in the matter.

My favorite gesture is on facebook, when I'm instant messaging two of my daughters. O:) turns into a smiley-angel face, and it allows me to make an off-handed remark about something serious -- and helps me get to the bottom of an issue that concerns my daughters -- all the while, I'm a cool Mom who just cares about her kids, instead of an overbearing pain-in-the-you-know-what. ;-)

To many who have blogged on this topic, I'm sure that my answers are pretty basic. There are some creative ways to use our everyday symbols and letters to convey an attitude. Even though I might be older, I think I'll stick to the basics and let my oldest daughter have her delusions that I don't know what fml means. :/