It's time someone spoke out against this menace, and no one else seems to have the guts. I hate smileys.

I hate them I hate them I hate them.

With the exception of my now signifcantly less-chin-endowed heterolifebuddy, most people who use : ) or = ) or :) or 8 ) or one of the hundreds of other 'clever' combinations are either:

#1. People, mostly girls, who don't realize how immature it makes them look. Now, this isn't necessarily a bad thing, because some people have a natural naivety that should be reinforced with this during the conversation. Or mayhaps they're just a very happy person, and they need to remind you every few messages.

Still, excessive use of smileys by this group can result in conversations that simply cannot be taken seriously, and should be avoided during anything resembling serious discussion.

#2. Guys. Guys tend to be more reserved than girls, and least in the smileys category, and this is a very good thing. We're less emotionally expressive, and that extends to MSN and ICQ conversations as well.

Nevertheless, some people in this second group overuse smileys, and it's creepier as they get older, methinks. It's obvious to everyone that using too many smileys makes one look younger, because back in 6th grade or whatever we all did that, but when guys well into their forties are using smileys, there's a problem. Why would any guy want to look less mature?

Anyways, now that that's off my chest, I can tell you about my weekend. But I won't. You'll have to come back tomorrow, because I'm very, very tired.