thanks guys, i got a lot of insight from this...
another example would be
this post. while not incredibly laden with smileys, notice the 3x use of the head bash smiley.
the replies kind of made me think...just imagine you're struggling with a language (you all seem to be quite good at your 2nd or 3rd languages..). i can totally understand it, that's how i am with Japanese. i could post at a japanese forum (did once at the ssspsx board

) and i know what they're saying, but im still enough of a newb that they'd be like "wow japlish it up more plz". so i think that also, people tend to not 100% know what they're saying and they use emoticons to express that.....
D.D. said:
but i think one reason some non-native english speakers use smilies is simply because they havent been introduced to the "cool"/sarcasm-oriented north american teen culture (which some ppl still carry into their middleyears) maybe. thus they dont have a problem expressing their emotions or are able to find humor in using happy smilies ^^
that is very interesting i had never ever thought of anything like that...
miretank said:
somtimes I need to edit my posts cause they're to much loaded with smilies.
i do that once in a while too. i'll type up something and just realize that i've smiley'd it up a bit too much(or sometimes on AIM, i'll be like, whoa, that was a lot of smileys, and stop using them). or sometimes in PSX discussion i realize that hey, im kind of doing a job here, i've got to be a little more serious...it's different on IRC or MSN or AIM where each line is a different message...but if you've ever noticed, yeloazn uses the "

" smiley after pretty much everything he says :lol: (dont mean to pick on you buddy!)
miretank said:
BTW, nice topic Hushy (

)
thanks! i hope people find it as interesting as me...