[Magooguli]

My girlfriend is big on cultural diversity, equality, multi-multiculturalism, political correctness etc. Me? Not so much. I do however feel that as we become more diverse and integrated we need to make an attempt to integrate and include others so I thought I'd post some Chinese / Oriental emoticons that you can use from time to time for your online communications. (NB: to read these you don't need to tilt your head)(Additional: code editor used to avoid auto formatting in forums).

(^_^/>) Happy

(*_^) Winking

(^_^/>) Sad

(^_^/>) Serious

(^_^/>) Angry

(*_*) Chinese gwai lo smiley

(^_^/>) Laughing

Enjoy!

This post has been edited by Magooguli: 20 April 2012 - 05:54 AM

[Kilorn]

Is this a joke? Because it's not a funny one.

[Sho Ke]

What?

[baavgai]

It's Asian, not Oriental, you insensitive clod! Also, your list seems more than a little offensive.

The subject itself is interesting, though...

Asian don't seem to get the whole sideways smiley thing. At first, it was seen as pattern recognition disconnect; Asians don't turn their head's sideways?

However, there is some interesting research into how cultures perceive emotions in real life faces. It also explains why the kawaii, but mouthless, Hello Kitty is sometimes perceived of as creepy by Westerners...

Quote

"Emoticons are used to convey different emotions in cyberspace as they are the iconic representation of facial expressions," Jack said. "Interestingly, there are clear cultural differences in the formations of these icons." Western emoticons primarily use the mouth to convey emotional states, e.g. : ) for happy and : ( for sad, she noted, whereas Eastern emoticons use the eyes, e.g. ^.^ for happy and ;_; for sad.
-- http://www.scienceda...90813142131.htm

This post has been edited by baavgai: 20 April 2012 - 06:15 AM

[WolfCoder]

baavgai, on 20 April 2012 - 07:13 AM, said:

..
Asian don't seem to get the whole sideways smiley thing. At first, it was seen as pattern recognition disconnect; Asians don't turn their head's sideways?
..

No, even I always thought it was stupid to have to turn your head sideways. Plus the Chinese do use sideways smileys ex: 8) is an oft used one. These are Japanese smileys and not even, Japanese forum trolls use elaborate SHIFT-JIS pictures like the cats and add tons of wwwwwwwwwwww at the end.

This post has been edited by WolfCoder: 20 April 2012 - 07:18 AM

[baavgai]

WolfCoder, on 20 April 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

even I always thought it was stupid to have to turn your head sideways

It's not really a head turn thing so much as cognitive connect thing. If you're not used to thinking of a mouth as fundamental to the image, it's rendered meaningless.

WolfCoder, on 20 April 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

Plus the Chinese do use sideways smileys ex: 8) is an oft used one.

People aren't stupid. Just because a symbol doesn't immediately click, doesn't mean you can't look it up on the Internet. Initial simlie confusion is a thing of the past. Folks just use the ones they like or see most often.

It's interesting why some might be used and why they are accepted by a group, though. The 8 looks vaguely like the nu radical ( 女 ), which might make 8) evocative of 好 (hao) on a bad day. Hao is "good" so it's apropos for a "smilie."

[supersloth]

this thread is hilarious but not in the way intended at all.

[Magooguli]

Lol I hope this is meant to be ironic!

baavgai, on 20 April 2012 - 09:13 AM, said:

It's Asian, not Oriental, you insensitive clod! Also, your list seems more than a little offensive.

Interesting. I shall as an anthropologist I know if this is reflected in other cultural differences.

Quote

Quote

"Emoticons are used to convey different emotions in cyberspace as they are the iconic representation of facial expressions," Jack said. "Interestingly, there are clear cultural differences in the formations of these icons." Western emoticons primarily use the mouth to convey emotional states, e.g. : ) for happy and : ( for sad, she noted, whereas Eastern emoticons use the eyes, e.g. ^.^ for happy and ;_; for sad.
-- http://www.scienceda...90813142131.htm

[BenignDesign]

So the point you're making here is Oriental people have very few recognizable distinguishable facial expressions.

This post has been edited by BenignDesign: 20 April 2012 - 08:50 AM

[Kilorn]

Which is outrageous and quite offensive.

EDIT: Also, I hear their women have sideways vaginas!

This post has been edited by Kilorn: 20 April 2012 - 08:51 AM

[no2pencil]

Kilorn, on 20 April 2012 - 11:51 AM, said:

I hear their women have sideways vaginas!

WolfCoder, on 20 April 2012 - 09:10 AM, said:

even I always thought it was stupid to have to turn your head sideways

Well yeah, if you've got your head turned sideways.

[Magooguli]

Yes it is an attempt at humour. Yes it is a race based joke. I'm sorry you don't find it amusing. I just had to google your signature to figure out what it means. I am sure lots of people find that offensive. Neither of these comments hurt anyone so take it in the spirit intended (my comment not your anal sex one, unless that's your thing in which case, whatever) and move on.

Also remember frequently humour is a lot like coding. You write something. You try it. You see how the various thingymawhatchamacallthems from compiler through to end user respond. You modify every step of the way.

Kilorn, on 20 April 2012 - 08:57 AM, said:

Is this a joke? Because it's not a funny one.

[baavgai]

Bizarre OP responses... Are you a bot? Perhaps you didn't pay attention to what you posted? The first couple are fine, so maybe your stopped there.

What you've said is:

(^_^/>) Happy, Sad, Serious, Angry, Laughing
(*_^) Winking
(*_*) Chinese gwai lo smiley

So, Chinese basically have no emotion? Except a wink, maybe? Gwai lo is the Cantonese equivalent to gaijin, meaning foreigner in it's mildest form, but can be ugly after that.

This is all an off color "joke" of sorts. Yet, the OP is either oblivious or just trolling.

[BenignDesign]

Who mentioned anal sex?!?!?! I always miss the good stuff!

[Magooguli]

This really wasn't meant to be that offensive. Just a joke based on a commonly known (but not accepted or believed) stereotype. The wink was just there to break the monotony and the gwai lo was a minor touch. If you want to look at it as if it were literary criticism one could say:

A brief list that speaks to the irony & misconception that are racial stereotypes. It accomplishes this with gentle wit and good humour. Subtly injected is a symbol to represent the caucasian from the point of view of the very people who the list is allegedly demeaning. This subtle entendre reminds the reader that though the list makes fun of one group for their perceived differences they too look on outside groups as alien and with unspoken derision. In a few simple symbols we see, ingeniously captured, a reflection of the human condition in the information age - a time where technology, communication and advancement contend with millions of years of evolutionary pressures based upon the requirement for immediate survival.

We could say all of that but it really would just be B.S. It was a joke. If it made you smile, good I am happy. If it offended you I apologize for the inconvenience, unfollow the thread and see what else is happening on the forums. If it were literary criticism though I would add:

As with all great literature it may be read on many levels. Depending on the reader the experience is vastly different. The simple are disgusted. The merely interested, confounded.
The brilliant - astounded.

I'd only add that to create trouble and stroke my own narcissistic tendencies though.

Now I am going to study some LISP before a very irate girlfriend returns home to find out I haven't done anything I said I would today.

This post has been edited by Magooguli: 20 April 2012 - 09:34 AM