# Smilies for wrong and right



## Rob625

I wonder whether it is possible to change the set of available smilies?

I would love to have a quick way of showing that I am giving an example of bad grammar, and another to flag the corrected version. I suppose I could use smile and frown like this:

 John cans speak the english   

 John can speak English   

But smile and frown are used so much in other ways. It would be good to have specific signs for this purpose.

What do you think?


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## vachecow

I don't think it would be a bad thing........I actually think it is a pretty good idea as long as it isn't to hard to get done


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## Tormenta

I think " thumb up/down"  could work ; however, it only works on titles (or I don't know how to use it)  

This one is  good for bad grammar  

Tormenta


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## garryknight

You could use strikethrough text instead of a smiley, as at least two of us here do. There doesn't seem to be an icon for it above the message composition window, but you can do it by inserting the correct markup text into your message. Before the text that you want to strike through, enter '[ s ]' (but without the spaces; they're just there to stop the VB code from interpreting it as markup code). After the text, enter '[ / s ]' (again without the spaces). You should end up with something that looks like this.


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## Tormenta

garryknight said:
			
		

> You could use *strikethrough* text instead of a smiley, as at least two of us here do. There doesn't seem to be an icon for it above the message composition window, but you can do it by inserting the correct markup text into your message. Before the text that you want to strike through, enter '[ s ]' (but without the spaces; they're just there to stop the VB code from interpreting it as markup code). After the text, enter '[ / s ]' (again without the spaces). You should end up with something that looks like this.





It does not work  Actually, it does!!!   

Thank you Garry.  Strikethrough!!!.....I'm going to enjoy this    (my English teacher does it all the time, but she uses red     )

Tormenta


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## Artrella

garryknight said:
			
		

> You could use strikethrough text instead of a smiley, as at least two of us here do. There doesn't seem to be an icon for it above the message composition window, but you can do it by inserting the correct markup text into your message. Before the text that you want to strike through, enter '[ s ]' (but without the spaces; they're just there to stop the VB code from interpreting it as markup code). After the text, enter '[ / s ]' (again without the spaces). You should end up with something that looks like this.





Oh! That was it! Now I've cottoned on to it!! Thanks Garry!!!


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## jacinta

garryknight said:
			
		

> You could use strikethrough text instead of a smiley, as at least two of us here do. There doesn't seem to be an icon for it above the message composition window, but you can do it by inserting the correct markup text into your message. Before the text that you want to strike through, enter '[ s ]' (but without the spaces; they're just there to stop the VB code from interpreting it as markup code). After the text, enter '[ / s ]' (again without the spaces). You should end up with something that looks like this.


''____Let's see if I can do this...''

Okay!!!  Wow,  I've always wondered about this.  I'm going to practice now!! Thanks for the 'leson'  'lisson''   lesson!

''Why do I end up with quotations?''  See?  I don't want quotations.  What am I doing wrong?


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## Silvia

Well, I still think Rob's idea was good!


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## vachecow

no it wasn'tyes, it was!


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## Rob625

I have now tried the strikout method, and I think my idea of smilies is better.

 Strikeout is not available as a button; you have to know how to do it.

 It involves quite a lot of typing, whereas a smilie can be put with a single click. 

 The result is not easy to read.

 It doesn't give a way to say 'this is correct', only 'this is wrong'.

If we had, say, a green tick smilie for 'this is correct' and a red cross for 'this is wrong', I think it would be very easy for people to see what they mean and how to use them; and it would be really useful in writing instructional posts.

So I would like to see my suggestion implemented. I had a quick look at the vBulletin FAQs, and I think it should be possible. I will ask Mike.

While we are at it, it would also be useful to have smilies to indicate informal and potentially offensive usage. The Collins-Robert French-English Dictionary has an excellent code which goes like this:

* - expression is not part of the standard language, is used by all educated speakers in a relaxed situation, but would not be used in a formal essay or letter, or where the speaker wishes to impress

** - expression is used by some but not all speakers in a very relaxed situation. Such words should be handled with extreme care by the non-native speaker

*** - means 'Danger!' Such words are liable to offend in any situation, and therefore are to be avoided by the non-native speaker.​So my next idea would be to have a smilie to play the role of '*'. Perhaps some form of exclamation mark?

Alternatively, one could three smilies, one for each level; but I think that would be harder to establish as an understood convention.


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## dave

Great idea Rob and better than strikethrough for the reasons you've given. At the moment I enclose a 'bad' sentence in asterisks if I'm giving an example of incorrect usage, but I have no idea if anyone understands what I mean!


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## Spicy

[s]I want try too[s]


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## Spicy

[/s]second trial[/s] ... and go !


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## Spicy

third trial  be patient.....


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## vachecow

Rob, I see your point....smilies would be much cooler


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## quehuong

Rob, I really like the idea of having such smileys in our posts.

And how about text graphics?

Correct/Incorrect
Right/Wrong
Grammatical/Ungrammatical
Standard/Nonstandard

In English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German of course.

One problem:  Currently, we can only embed a few graphics in each post.  If a member asks a lot of questions *or * gives a lot of examples *and * wants to use 5+ smileys/graphics in his/her post, the bot will automatically ask the member to minimize the number of graphics before the message can be submitted and can appear.  

Mr. Kellogg,

Could you lift the *Too Many Graphics in Your Message Embargo Act*.  Pleaze pleaze pleaze?


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## mkellogg

This is a fascinating idea, using smilies as the international language of right and wrong. 

I'm almost certain that we can add custom smilies, and maybe even other in-line graphics, to the forum.


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## Silvia




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## niña

mkellogg said:
			
		

> This is a fascinating idea, using smilies as the international language of right and wrong.
> 
> I'm almost certain that we can add custom smilies, and maybe even other in-line graphics, to the forum.



That would be cool, mkellogg 
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 The 11 static emoticons we have bore me and don't let me express myself 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 Besides I'm fed up with stealing "smilies" from other sites


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## araceli

niña said:
			
		

> That would be cool, mkellogg
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Good tread!

 I'm trying to practise it now, yeah
In the other hand, I love smilies


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## mkellogg

I like Rob's and Quehuong's ideas, but not niña's. (Sorry, I find too much animation distracts from the words.)

Rob, since it was your idea and you are a moderator these days, I'm going to try to put you in charge of the effort.  Will you accept?

Just a few emoticons (that's the technical term for smilies) to express correctness, offensiveness, slang, etc.  And if we find someone with some ability with graphics (MS Paint would work) they could create some for us. 

I do find it ironic that, in this forum dedicated to words, we want to express ourselves with emoticons...

Mike


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## araceli

Yes, but I like to see faces too...when I'm talking.


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## Rob625

OK, Mike, I'm glad you agree. I will have a look to see what's possible - what vBulletin will let you put in - and what's available. I quite agree that animations would not be suitable.

Rob


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## niña

Mike, you wouldn't believe how many misunderstandings we could have saved here if we had be able to use a few more of those "animations".   



			
				mkellogg said:
			
		

> I find too much animation distracts from the words.



what? Does it happens to you in real life too? Let me show you my surprise with the only "smilie" I have for that purpose -->  



> I do find it ironic that, in this forum dedicated to words, we want to express ourselves with emoticons...



Who said that? I hope that didn't go for me because I don't pretend to express myself just with emoticons, far from it. I'm just saying that sometimes, in written communication, those icons are necessary to compensate for the inability to convey voice inflections, facial expressions, and bodily gestures. It's just a fun way to help get your message across. And I think fun is not incompatible with learning, is it?

Ok, I would have much to say about this subject, but I don't want to waste my valuable time for nothing   

Good luck with finding a graphic expert


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## Silvia

Graphic expert? For free?!


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## Artrella

dave said:
			
		

> Great idea Rob and better than strikethrough for the reasons you've given. At the moment I enclose a 'bad' sentence in asterisks if I'm giving an example of incorrect usage, but I have no idea if anyone understands what I mean!





Actually, in English Grammar books they use the asterisk to show ungrammatical sentences.
Eg,

          Anna has the will to win
        *Anna has the will of winning


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## mkellogg

Done!


 

Thanks to you all for the ideas.  And be sure to thank Rob625 for doing it!

Mike


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## dave

Cool! Well done Mike and Rob


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## Artrella

Re buenos los nuevos smilies!!! Hoy los encontré y me encantaron!! Gracias Mike y Rob!!!


Art


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## vachecow

Thanks Mike!!!


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## vachecow

And Rob


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## quehuong

Thanks, Rob.  Great job!


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## walnut

Grazie Rob!


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## niña

Guys, stop overusing them, please  


Thanks Rob and Mike


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