AbigailII:  I'm interested to know whether you adopt the same approach to your interactions with people off the web -- do you ignore body language, facial expression, tone of voice, etc.?  I believe smileys are intended to substitute for those nonverbal cues that convey so much of our meaning (as much as 90%, according to some authorities).  I'm sure most people would agree that a great deal of information can be conveyed by a wink!