the heart emoticon as currently rendered is highly problematic (revisited)
I have long held the opinion that the “<3” emoticon looks more like a pair of buttcheeks topped by a dunce cap than a heart. At one point, I even solicited the professional opinion of Scott E. Fahlman, Research Professor of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University and inventor of the original sideways “smiley face” or “emoticon” . After reviewing my arguments, he confirmed that this emoticon has a problematic resemblance to an ass wearing a hat (and something about more than three kittens).
The tattoo depicted above provides additional support for a thorough reconsideration of the use of this troubled symbol. It also stands as a cautionary example of the dangers inherent in mixing typography and strong drink.
(via acomedyofhorrors)
reblogged from acomedyofhorrors
update: the heart emoticon as currently popularly rendered is highly problematic
Scott E. Fahlman, inventor of the original sideways “smiley face” or “emoticon” has been kind enough to provide some of his thoughts on the heart emoticon via a brief email exchange. I will quote his message in its entirety.
Well, I think that people “get” the <3 emoticon without too much head-scratching, and that’s what’s important. But I must admit that I also think of a plumber’s buttcheeks when I see this.
Some people use a left-handed smiley, just to be different: (-: Or maybe that’s a happy person standing on his head. And some people use matched pairs of smileys like parentheses to delimit the allegedly funny bits.
The heart emoticon is “problematic” in another way as well. It would be easy to read “I <3 kittens” as “I am less than three kittens”, and in some contexts that could make just enough sense to be confusing.
Cheers,
Scott
I cannot believe that I was so blinded by the “plumber’s buttcheeks” that I completely overlooked the “less than three kittens” issue entirely. However, I am taking to heart Scott’s point about most readers’ ability to comprehend the heart emoticon without any problems. I will, somewhat reluctantly I admit, accept that I am in the minority when finding the ASSHAT, I mean heart emoticon problematic. Starting today, I will begin the process of learning to live with this minor but troubling cognitive impairment.
Thank you Scott E. Fahlman for your generous response to my query -mumblelard
I <3 the heart emoticon!
For it to look like a heart, it has to be read backwards. If it is parsed in the same direction as every other emoticon, it looks exactly like a DUNCECAP sitting on a pair of BUTTCHEEKS. Every time anyone uses this, I read it something like this “I ASSHAT kittens” or “I ASSHAT Zooey Deschanel.” Then I have to be confused for a moment and try and figure out the intended message because why would anyone ever ASSHAT a kitten.
reblogged from mumblelard
the heart emoticon as currently popularly rendered is highly problematic
I <3 the heart emoticon!
For it to look like a heart, it has to be read backwards. If it is parsed in the same direction as every other emoticon, it looks exactly like a DUNCECAP sitting on a pair of BUTTCHEEKS. Every time anyone uses this, I read it something like this “I ASSHAT kittens” or “I ASSHAT Zooey Deschanel.” Then I have to be confused for a moment and try and figure out the intended message because why would anyone ever ASSHAT a kitten.
