Devoted to small businesses and those who run them

I missed the birthday of an email business writing legend... the smiley face emoticon.

Yes, that's right, the ubiquitous smiley emoticon :) is 25 years old. Wow! It's hard to believe it's been around for a quarter of a century.

CNN reports

• 25 years ago professor Scott E. Fahlman first used the computer "smiley face"
  
• :-) posted to an online e-bulletin board at 11:44 a.m. on September 19, 1982
  
• Variations: :-( ;-) :-D :-p :-S :-\

Is There A Better Email Alternative To Emoticons?
Lyn Gaertner-Johnston teaches business writing at Syntax Training. She says she'd rather use words than emoticons, to express her feelings. I take her point.

Whle emoticons may be fine in casual emails for fun, they are unprofessional and unecessary in business communications. Some business emails have so many emoticons sprinkled throughout, they look more like a child's birthday party invitation than a business document.

Is this really the business image you want to present? In any case, emoticons are no guarantee that the nuances of your email wil be fully understood. 

Clear Wording Beats Emoticons Hands Down
I agree with Lyn. Careful choices and clear wording beat emoticons any day.

Afer all, do you want your business image to be at the mercy of a little yellow smiley face?