:-) is 25 years old
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Wow!! I didn't know this. 25 years ago CMU prof Scott Fahlman invented a smiley face :-) using just 3 keystrokes and what a way to start an emoticon race. Users of Yahoo Messenger would know of the many many variations ; like :-D, :-P, :-S :-( and ;-)
These smilies spread from CMU to other schools to other businesses and then around the world. Now a days these are so common that you can find them almost anywhere on the www world. The best part is that there's no language barrier. A :-) means the same in English, French, Spanish, Zulu or Mallu ;-)
Dr. Fahlman was quoted as saying "I sometimes wonder how many millions of people have typed these characters, and how many have turned their heads to one side to view a smiley, in the 25 years since this all started". Come to think of it, I think I actually might have turned my head to one side during the initial stages. After a few years, we now see folks @ Google making it interesting, swinging these emoticons vertically so that you don't have to "turn your heads sideways" :P
Labels: 2007, 25, Anniversary, CMU, Emoticon, Google
Posted by Rajesh @ 8:11 PM; PERMALINK,
3 Shouts:
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At September 19, 2007 7:47 AM,
Suffa said...
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yeah just read bout dat... boy datz a loooong time... btw unrelated 2 it, heard that moore is predicting that processor speeds will top out by 2020...
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At September 19, 2007 8:21 AM,
ammu said...
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:-)
;-)
:P
:D
:S
:>
>:D<
\:D/
:x
:?
Showing off my emoticon knowledge...hehehe -
At September 19, 2007 6:02 PM,
Rajesh said...
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@ Parag - Yup. Didn't realize dat - 25 yrs...
Top out in the sense? any numbers :)
@ Amrita - boy oh boy thats a huge list. Addicted to the messenger? :))
