157
In 1982, a physics joke gone wrong sparked the invention of the emoticon - Ars Technica
(arstechnica.com)
8===D (It doesn't even have to be read sideways)
this post was submitted on 22 Nov 2025
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Aqp
90 degrees shifted
q p n
u d b
Fahlman entered the discussion with his now-famous post: “I propose that the following character sequence for joke markers: :-) Read it sideways.” He added that serious messages could use :-(, noting, “Maybe we should mark things that are NOT jokes, given current trends.”
From there, the smiley could spread across the emerging global computer network, and no one would ever misunderstand a joke online again. :-)
Is that last post of the article meant as a joke or not? I do not understand.
:-)
Read it sideways.
So the article is a joke and untrue?
It's for the last sentence, "and no one would ever misunderstand a joke online again". Not the whole article.
Oh I read that completely different. With a "if we would all use it" in there.
It’s interesting how quickly they evolved in the last ~20 years.
From :-) to :) to 🙂
1982 was 43 years ago.....
Yes, but I was specifically talking about the way usage has shifted over the last 20 years.
Shit. That makes me… too damn old.
:-)
:-(
>:-(
:-O
:-|
:-/
<^> <^>
o7
XD
;-P
I get it.
I prefer using emojis that show a range of variations of sarcasm over the very inelegant "/s," myself.
Not me 😋🙃😜🥴
Don't be so serious 🤡