[Air-l] Emoticons and cultural imperialism

[Derek McMillan]

Emoticons were once a small expression of individual creativity. They still 
can be.  However even this tiny bit of expression is being "alienated" by 
Microsoft.

Messenger does not ban emoticons, on the contrary it encourages them.  In 
doing so it interprets emoticons so they are no longer the property of the 
sender but become a cute little graphic designed by Microsoft.  Thus some 
emoticons are acceptable and some are not interpreted and thus have a 
second-class status.  New emoticons cannot be created without the approval 
of corporate power.

This is a tiny tiny issue.  And its very tininess signals the all-pervasive 
power of the corporations!

:=)

Derek McMillan


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