(Off Topic) My Apology

I’m am now aware that members of this forum have become upset with me because of my excessive use of smilies. I apologize for my actions and will no longer post in that manner. My intentions were never to boost my post count (the counts don’t mean anything as far as I’m concerned). From now on if I don’t have a bigger comment than a smilie, I will not make a post. I would like to continue to keep my membership of this forum if the moderators and members don’t mind. This is a great and informative place and I would like to stick around if possible. The last thing I want to be known as is a “Troll”. Well, I hope you accept my apolgy and let me stick around. Have a great evening.

The need to apologize seems not much if at all.

Anybody tempted to respond with just a [:)]

A good evening to you, Railfan1,

Your postings of smilies were never of any concern to me, I always was glad to see you on the forum and look forward to hearing from you, with or without smilies, in the future.

Cheers,

Gregory

I don’t know whats the big deal with the smiles faces post? when did this come up few months ago? I ever heard of this problem before?

I sure can’t see any problem with smilies. I kind of like the icons, it helps add a littl emotion to what I’m saying. I’ll make you a deal: If I think anything you post is out of line, I’ll e-mail you, and you do the same for me.[;)]

What is polite in face to face conversation (the occasional grin, nod, spoken “Okay”, grunt, etc.) to indicate that the speaker is not alone, doesn’t exist in the internet world. The closest things are posted responses that contain only something similar, such as a smiley.

Some folk (legitimently) leave the “Email me replies to this post.” checkbox at the bottom, Checked, when they post a response, or they click the “(bell) Notify” button at the top of a thread so they will get an e-mail that will tell them something was added and they can then go see what it was.

This “CAN” be irritating to folk because they get lots of e-mails anyway (spam or not) and wading through the mass of “(Trains.com Forums) New Post to Forum: Re:” messages and then going to the web page to download it (which on a dialup connection can be excruciatingly slow) only to see that the response was: [:)] or [#ditto] can be a bit irritating.

Sometimes the slowness is because their computer is set up to NOT store the smileys locally and it has to be downloaded for each and every use of one in a thread of approval/disapproval smiley responses.

I can understand the “irritation” AND I can understand responding with just a [:)].

I don’t know a cure for the problem. [D)]

I like it when someone at least indicates that something I have said rings a bell with them and they respond with a note of some sort, whether approval or disapproval. BUT, I do recognize the problem that can present to the forum member that wants only relavent responses that actually ADD to the content.

[tup]

This is for you pops----> [bow]

56 smiley icons and none of them comes close to expressing how hard you made me laugh!

Uh, can you run that by me one more time?

Too many smilies?

Seriously?

Like, there isn’t anything else more important for them to worry about?[:D]

I think you have nothing to appoligize for…if something that simple bugs them that much, then the evening news must drive them bats…

Now that you mention it…

[:D][8D][:-^]

I didn’t know that posting smiles was such a major crisis.

Is it really that big of a deal? [|(]

Let me rephrase that - who in the world is upset over someone using smiles in a post? Is this forum that important in their lives?

I like the smiles[tup]. Even though I thought you were stalking me there for a while[%-)]! SOMEBODY thinks I’m funny[;)] So many fights start becuase sarcasm can’t come across written word(which isn’t true, but it is extremely hard. try finding banished books, all sarcasm and metaphorhs[banghead][X-)][C):-)][:-^]!) the smiles help put those words into a persective. is it sarcasm, or ridicule? the smilies tell you, in an age here anyone can now write anything. I’m full of it, I KNOW. It doesn’t come across unless I use alot of them. I come from along line of Britsh imgrants, and alot of BBC on PBS from Chicago. I have a difference sense of a slight(touche, friend), a Jab (Aw, I get ya, you bastard), Ridicule(hey, freind, calm down, your’e embaressing ME!), and just total humiliation(of the “enemy!”). Unless I’m REALLY drunk, and I need to stop getting online that drunk, and I don’t use them at all.

P.S. I’m sorry if I get like that, ignore me, like ya’ll us

Sometimes a picture can be worth a thousend words (okay, maybe about fifty for a smiley).

But these things are often best used in combination with words. I don’t know who called you on it, 619, but I think you recognize what the “problem” has been, and I’m glad you took it upon yourself to try and address it. Good luck!

Railfan1:

No need to apologize. I’ve never had any problems with the numerous smilies in your posts.

[:)][:D][8D][swg][;)](All of these are for the people who were giving you a bad time over the smilies!)[}:)][(-D]

[#ditto]

Who told you that anyhows. It wasn’t on a post that I saw. Someone E-mail you? Dah, ignore em. These are probably the same people that throw tatrums every weekend that someones picking on them.

Me thinks somebody got all bent out of shape over nothing, so keep posting them smileys, Railfan1. [2c][swg]

CANADIANPACIFIC2816

[#ditto][#dots][oops]

WHAT ED SAID!!![#ditto][^]

GOOD INFORMATION AND CONVERSATION IS ALWAYSAPPRECIATED! [swg]

And if the smiley feature was a problem, it would have been gone along time ago![tup][tup]

[bow] Bergie would have seen to it!

[#ditto] What Poppa Zit “said”.