Does the smiley face make a difference to the meaning?

For me it lightens up sarcasm so as to not offend. Example;

Wow… You really put a lot of thought in to that question, did you get it from a teen magazine? :)

See how that jab was lightened by the smiley? Now, you try!

@ DWW25921 Thank you for your answer.
So he didn’t really mean what he said? It was just a joke?

Smiley means you still would want him but he’s not sure you do, so less awkward with a smile. Sounds like he knows you!

Aren’t you the jealous one & now you are texting the ex? That makes soooo much sense now girlfriend.

It depends on the context and how well you know the person you are talking to. In this situation, it could have been a joke or it could have been an attempt at flirting.

I can’t speak for him, but I use emoticons only when I’m concerned that the lack of expression and inflection intrinsic in written communications may affect how my message is perceived (especially humor).

Yeah, context is key. Maybe he’s a bit of a creep & that’s his clumsy way of covering his tracks. In other words, he’s after a piece of your arse & is hiding behind a smiley…convenient.

I use a smiley face or wink when I make a joke, satirical remark or use a splash a dash of sarcasm. The reader cannot see my facial expression and might misinterpret the remark.
In his case he is saying “yes he is older” but is “still passable.” He gut still fits in his pants and the butt crack is not visible.

By the way, this isn’t about me. I am definitely not texting my ex, didn’t talk to him when I was with him!

“You still would.”

This could mean anything, depending what sentence immediately preceded it. What was that sentence?

@Headhurts Yes. The smiley lightens the comment. Makes it happy.

@glacial He was saying about how he had aged since they were last together, and then said that, and the other person didn’t reply, end of conversation.

@Headhurts So….

“I’ve aged since we were last together”
”...”
“You still would. ;-)”

Like this? It still sounds like we’re missing the key part – the part that makes you think he wants her to have sex with him. They could be talking about one of them beating the other at bowling, for all we know.

They weren’t talking about bowling. There was obviously more to the conversation, but would take too long to write it here. They were talking about him. What he looks like, that the other had the best years etc etc.

@Headhurts But if you saw that they discussed all that… what difference does the smiley face make? Why not judge him on what he said, instead of trying to interpret a cutesy symbol that could mean anything?

@glacial Because I didn’t understand the meaning of the face.

@Headhurts It’s just a winky face. It could mean anything. Why don’t you ask him?

Because I don’t know him. It was nothing to do with me.

I just think it’s a bad idea to try to read more into something a second party wrote to a third party, especially if what you’re “reading” is not even verbal. And if none of it has anything to do with you, my advice is to keep it that way, and let them get on with it.

I would take that to mean “you still would do me.”

The smiley face, to me, in this case, means “it’s all in good fun.”

@jca Thank you. ‘In all good fun’ meaning, just joking?

@Headhurts: I would take it to mean “it’s just a joke if you think it’s offensive, and it’s not just a joke (meaning it’s a proposal) if you really want to do me.”

Are you sure this is not about you, @Headhurts? I ask only because you seem very invested in the subtle details of the meaning.

@jca No honestly, I really don’t speak to my ex. I just didn’t understand the meaning if the face, not very good like that.

Yes, I take the smiley face to mean that something is not meant seriously, is meant to be harmless…it clarifies the type of meaning that can only be conveyed through delivery and body language that is missing in texting.

Reminds me of that text in Get Him to the Greek: “Where are you? I am going to kill you. :)”

@Headhurts: Yes, flirty.

I find them annoying, distracting and no substitute for words. It’s the route of the lazy writer. Case in point is that you don’t know what this guy means.

@gailcalled Me too.

@Headhurts: I hope for your sake that your bf is not writing to his ex, and this question is about that.

@jca No, it isn’t.

In face to face conversations we rely on a lot of nonverbal communication that is lost in texting. The smileys try to re introduce some non verbals. He is trying to take a dry piece of text with no real grounding context and provide the context he would like it to have. That doesn’t mean there isn’t conte t that he isn’t aware of or is obscuring. The rest is for you to figure out based on how much you know him and what he’s like in face to face conversations.

How about “I’m still….(insert a not so humble word) even if I’ve aged. ” “You’re easy enough, indiscriminate enough.”

@flo: i.e. “I’m still a hot stud and can give you what you need just like I used to, back in the day.” LOL

Lol..I think sometime. But it depends on person to person.