What's Your Mood Dot?
Okay, maybe Ricochet needs to add mood indicators next to posts and comments.
Or maybe just stock "intent indicators." Like, Sarcasm ahead. Or I'm actually starting to get annoyed now. Or I'm steaming hot and shaking with rage as I type.
For all of us who like to think of ourselves as wordsmiths, I think there's still ample room for deep, varied and totally unpredictable misinterpretation.
When I toss something out there in the Rico universe, I am occasionally shocked by the way it's received. Then, when I respond in mock horror, mock irritation, or with mild but still-cheerful sarcasm, people think I'm really horrified or irritated or that I'm a supersensitive snark-ess in a snooty, pristine high tower. But then again, I come to realize I misinterpreted someone else's mood. Other times I sit there wondering, "What did (s)he mean when (s)he wrote that?" Or, "Do they get what I meant there?" Confusing. So I just go and have a cup 'o tea and try to forget about it.
But what if we could enable some sort of color-coded dots next to our comments? What colors? For what moods or intents?
Or maybe we could choose certain phrases from a dropdown menu, like Facebook's "It's complicated" relationship status. Something to replace emoticons, which seem juvenile. (Plus, Rob hates them.)
For the record, I have been on the color green -- ready to go, cheerful, fascinated by other views, open to learning, genuinely curious -- for 99.9% of my time on Ricochet. Indeed, for one post, I started to get yellow (a little cautious) as I read the comments. Then I got fully red (furious), and then that all turned me blue (hurt) for a few days. So I get that some people can shapeshift and get all mood altered. But then others pretend to get hot and bothered.
Does it even matter? Maybe that's what we're navigating here on Ricochet. Workin' it out. Writing our deepest thoughts and strongest convictions -- or best attempts at a joke -- in 200 words or less while remaining civil. I mean, Jonathan Swift didn't use a smiley face after his A Modest Proposal.
I do feel, also for the record, that we all sort of love each other here. (Cue sunshine art.) Am I right?
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Comments :
Aug '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Anything that keeps us from being misunderstood is probably good. But then we might get lazy and over-use them. I'll bet Andrew Klavan will have something to say about this. I doubt that he has a problem with being misunderstood,.
Sep '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
I hate emoticons and think that well crafted satire is a worthy pursuit of a lifetime. I'm also cheerfully ambivalent.
Jun '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
My color is nice cheery gray.
Jul '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
I Think the difficulties of this endeavor are best explained at the following link: http://blog.xkcd.com/2010/05/03/color-survey-results/
(H/T: Randall Munro and XKCD)
Jul '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
I'm sort of a mauve guy, myself. Sensitive, caring, concerned with the feelings of others. Careful not to give offense.
That is mauve right? Or is it taupe?
Aug '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Kenneth: I'm sort of a mauve guy, myself. Sensitive, caring, concerned with the feelings of others. Careful not to give offense.
That is mauve right? Or is it taupe? · Nov 8 at 12:25pm
" The BMW that he takes to Martha's Vineyard is another luxury item that is tactically used to exhibit his delusional importance. "
Kenneth ,beware the Wolfe.
May '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
I spend a lot of time explaining that I was kidding or not intending offense, because I usually neglect to anticipate the varied possible interpretations of a statement.
So, if emoticons are banned (lighten up, Rob....), we ought to have some means for incompetent and non-hostile satirists to send the message that we are unable to express in the posts.
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Kenneth: I'm sort of a mauve guy, myself. Sensitive, caring, concerned with the feelings of others. Careful not to give offense.
That is mauve right? Or is it taupe? · Nov 8 at 12:25pm
I think you're more of an "ecru" kinda guy. Or perhaps "persimmon."
Oct '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
My staff knows not to take me seriously unless I'm wearing my boss-face. Unfortunately for them I've recently learned to fake my boss-face, which means I can prank them again. They would tell you that my color is chameleon.
Feb '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Ursula,
Thanks for this great idea! It's not new-- some sites have a way to indicate your mood (e.g. "Happy" "Furious" "Laughing" "Discouraged" "Intrigued" etc.). I don't think we had thought to bring this to Ricochet-- but it makes sense.
I'm adding it to our internal spreadsheet of ideas for future consideration.
Jul '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
I'm going with chrome. Shiny, but any brightness comes from the real luminaries here.
May '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Is this suddenly the LL Bean catalogue? When do we start comfort-rating?
Only chicks (and Tommy) want the emoticons. People know what you mean. It's your True Colors Shining Through (a wee nod to your 80sism).
PS, some FB puppet pal is urging me to take the "what color are you?" quiz. Turned her down like a bedspread. There are limits. Though did say "probably red and black".
Edited on Nov 8, 2010 at 12:46pmRe: What's Your Mood Dot?
Busy System Admin: Ursula,
Thanks for this great idea! It's not new-- some sites have a way to indicate your mood (e.g. "Happy" "Furious" "Laughing" "Discouraged" "Intrigued" etc.). I don't think we had thought to bring this to Ricochet-- but it makes sense.
I'm adding it to our internal spreadsheet of ideas for future consideration. · Nov 8 at 12:39pm
Hi BSA, I'm sorta tongue in cheek with this. (Maybe there should be a mood dot for that!) I know you all have your hands full and are doing amazing things already. I really don't think we need this, but after Marybeth's post seemed to veer off the rails and then back and then off again ... I thought, why not post about it! Not a totally serious proposal, but figured I toss the idea out and see what happens! I feel quite self-important, however, that something from my brain ends up on an "internal spreadsheet" somewhere.
Jul '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Vermilion.
May '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Code away.
[Edited by BSA to include image from the link above:]
Jun '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
I am thinking Avocado, but maybe Harvest Gold
Sep '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Well, given the potentially incendiary nature of the material, I think it was very mild, so I may be overly ambivalent but don't think we need to get the Home Office involved. I quite enjoyed it and hope that it spawns some further interesting posts.
Sep '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
My only request? No earth tones.
May '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
The wink emoticon is the single most useful addition to written language in centuries.
Am I joking? Since ;) is banned, you'll never know.
Another interesting bit of net-speak is use of the asterix to denote action. For example:
Jul '10
Re: What's Your Mood Dot?
Aaron Miller: The wink emoticon is the single most useful addition to written language in centuries.
Am I joking? Since ;) is banned, you'll never know.
Another interesting bit of net-speak is use of the asterix to denote action. For example: · Nov 8 at 2:25pm
I'm more familiar with the /action
/walks away slowly
//goes back to work
or the greater than less than sign to indicate
<sarcasm> Great comment Kenneth! </sarcasm>