Fencer: Thank you for the reply, which I take to mean that my feature request has been denied. Fair enough; it's your site.

Still, I find this change confusing. Yesterday, seeing smileys was a privilege reserved for paying members. Today, not seeing smileys is a privilege reserved for paying members. Why? This change affects only pawns, yet it was implemented suddenly at the request of a handful of rooks, and it remains undocumented here, here, and here.

To my knowledge the other advantages you refer to have not changed since yesterday. So if I have not yet purchased a paying membership, why would you expect me to do so now, simply for the right not to see smileys? There are easier and cheaper ways not to see smileys on BrainKing.