Using emoticons to soften the tone of your writing?

[Kimi]

I must admit for me personally, I use emoticons to soften the tone of my writing in other forum I belonged to (now I don't write as much in any forum :( ).
I don't use the "angry", basically the emoticons expressing negative emotions, that much at least.
But it seems, some people consider emoticons as a rather stupid or silly way of expressing things. Kind of like showing a weakness or showing you're not that strong of a person who needs to soften the tone of your writing or who needs to make the other person comfortable to give a response to what you write. At least I got that kind of impression from some people, about showing a weakness part that is.

Do you use emoticons and if you do, why or for what purpose?
When you see one in somebody's post, does it make you feel you get a better picture cause the emotion is expressed there too? Or simply encourage you to write back cause it doesn't look so cold if the post is only text?
Ever experienced a misunderstanding with another poster about interpreting the same emoticons?

[cooperlola]

I use [:-))] a lot as it quite often sums up the way I feel!

[Patf]

Some people tend to write tongue in cheek a lot. Then others take it seriously and get upset and angry. So I think for the teasers they are useful. Unless they want to cause upset of course! For me, I still haven't mastered the skill so use exclamation marks instead. People explain then I forget. Pat.

[Christine Animal]

[:P]

 

[powerdesal]

I think they are a useful tool, can be overused of course. I am sure we are all aware that certain phrases, sentences even can be read in different ways, or rather can be interpreted in different ways depending on the mood of the reader. Emoticons can be a "flag" to indicate how the writer wants the words to be interpreted.