I hate the e-mail smiley face – you know, the ☺ -- but I can't stop using it.

We all know that the problem with e-mail is that tone is often difficult, if not impossible, to detect. Hence, we resort to cutesy little icons to assure our friends and coworkers that we're just kidding, even if we're not. (Don't get me started on the passive aggressive smiley face.)

There are many variations of this face, like ;-) and % ^) and $*!%! (Whoops, that last one is a comic book swear, not an e-mail smiley face.) You can even download hundreds of smiley faces to capture your exact mood or essence, like the "I just got laid" or the "I feel repugnant even though I don't know what repugnant means" smiley face and so forth. (For the record, I'm fairly certain I know the definition of repugnant.)

Admitantly, I will probably continue to use the face even though I go back and forth about ol' cyber smiley. So, when I send you an e-mail, don't act surprised by a few :)'s or even the occasional ;).