Beef up your text messages with Japanese Smileys

I just got a great email from NetLingo.com - all about Japanese Smileys!

For those of you that don’t know, NetLingo.com is a great source of Interweb jargonry (OK, that’s not a word) - in fact, they put it better themselves:

NetLingo has thousands of definitions that explain the online world of business, technology, and communication — including the largest collection of Internet acronyms and text messaging shorthand.

So today, they mailed about Japanese Smileys, which have the same effect (graphics from text/symbols) as our traditional friends, but look arguably a bit cooler. They originated (surprise, surprise) from Japan, and don’t required the “head tilt” that the “traditional” smileys do. Here are some of my faves below, but of course check out the NetLingo site for the full ticket:

(^_^) - male smiley

(*^o^*) or (*^.^*) - exciting

(?_?) - confused (or wondering)

(*_*) - frightened (or in love)

(=_=)~ - sleepy

Disturbingly, I think I may have, in a slightly Freudian slip, picked out the character traits I find most like myself. Hmmmm, that’s a bit odd. Eek.