These just about symbolise everything wrong with the modern web. Whereas the humble ascii emoticon was a fun exercise in pareidolia--as an emotional aside to w

These just about symbolise everything wrong with the modern web. Whereas the humble ascii emoticon was a fun exercise in pareidolia--as an emotional aside to whimsically add a little lightness to proper writing, they have now been standardised, streamlined and commercialised, and are used as a substitute for proper writing, turning everything they're supposed to represent into a lie--a Web of lies. Popularity seems to be the death-knell for anything cute, quirky, quaint, or mildly amusing with its initial charm being brutally curb-stomped by the one-size-fits-all boot of commercial interests. > it would revolutionize our culture’s way of communicating Thanks for that :'( Sic transit gloria mundi. And no, I'm not being snooty: I am that old!