[aneisf]

Yeah, they're wildly popular with just about everyone I know 25 and under, especially on sites like Instagram. There's even been a music video created from them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmlJveN9IkI

[weavie]

Hmm. 40 year here who really likes using them. I find over instant messaging, which we use a lot at work, when you are just typing text a lot of the real meaning behind what you are saying is lost.

Compare the following mentioned during a code review:

Your code is crap Your code is crap :-)

The first is taken seriously, the second is more of a sarcastic joke. The meaning conveyed is even stronger when the picture is a comical and brightly coloured smiley face rather than an ascii smile.

[bmm6o]

I guess it's cultural, but I wouldn't IM "your code is crap" during a code review with or without an emoticon. If the code really was crap I'd be more constructive. If it wasn't crap I wouldn't say it was. Why wouldn't you just say what you mean?

[pling]

Ok thanks. That's well under my age so I understand. Does it replace "TXT SPK" which I'm still too old to use and find terribly annoying?

(I'm sounding like a right grumpy old git here)

[aneisf]

That sort of hyper-abbreviated writing has largely disappeared thanks to spell-check, predictive autocomplete, and so forth.

Emoji can certainly stand in for text, and I see plenty of comments and text messages that consist primarily of emoji. But just as often they will accompany text to add personality or mood the way ASCII smilies or textual kaomoji always have on bulletin boards.

[sliverstorm]

Just think of Emoji as the ASCII smiley-faces- :) :( :D D: - version 3.0

[Linell]

Less of a replacement and more of a supplement.