• Lvxferre@mander.xyz
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    5 months ago

    They would be less obnoxious if used sparingly, but they wouldn’t be effective unless the reason why they’re used changed, from graphical echo (“I saw a cat today 🐱”) and mood/attitude particles (like you did) to ideographic usage (e.g. “I saw a 🐱 today”). Plus they’re still colourful and attention-grabbing drawings within text, they detract attention from the text itself.

    • brbposting@sh.itjust.works
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      5 months ago

      Can’t distractions from the text sometimes be exactly what you want?

      And have you seen an emoji perfectly complete a meme when being used for mood? How about convey lighthearted intent when discussing a serious subject?

      • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
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        5 months ago

        They can but most of the time they aren’t. That’s the key here: most of the time emojis only add noise, to the point that the shreds of legitimate usage (that can be conveyed through other means) don’t really justify keeping the cons of the noise.

        It isn’t like anyone would implement my idea though. I’m mostly doing like that old man screaming at the sky, or something like this.

          • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
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            3 months ago

            What is the point that you’re trying to convey by relexing “old man screaming at the sky” to use emojis?

            If the point is that “they could be used to convey meaning”: I’ve already addressed it. Usually, they aren’t. (If the point is something else, please clarify.)

            • brbposting@sh.itjust.works
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              3 months ago

              Wouldn’t you agree the perfect reply to:

              Emoji are pretty dumb, but I guess I’m just an old fart about it.

              …is a string of emoji? :)

              • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
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                3 months ago

                If that was my point, it would be a great answer.

                However my point is not against the usage of emojis to convey linguistic meaning, like that. (It’s a bit pointless, but at least you’re saying something through the emojis.)

                • brbposting@sh.itjust.works
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                  3 months ago

                  Well of the three usages:

                  • graphical echo (“I saw a cat today 🐱”)

                  • mood/attitude particles (“I wish I were just a cat 😕”)

                  • ideographic usage (“I saw a 🐱 today”)

                  The echo is almost certainly the least useful.

                  When overused gratuitously, it can be funny (NSFW examples included)!

                  • Lvxferre@mander.xyz
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                    3 months ago

                    That overuse feels a lot like a fourth category. It’s almost meta-, as if using emojis to parody emoji usage!

                    I’m not sure if it’s usage for echo or as mood particles makes me roll my eyes the most. Perhaps echo, too.

                    Are you a linguist? Fabulous descriptive capabilities you have there.

                    More like “ability to remember vocab from uni times” (My second grad included Linguistics, although I don’t work on the field nowadays.)