Use of 'Emoji' and general post legibility

[Mojo]

Following recent feedback, the forum staff would like to request that people refrain from using 'Emoji' symbols/emoticons on the forum. If you feel it necessary to use an emoticon in your post, then please use one of the 'Smilies' that are provided by the forum software.

The reason for this is to maintain accessibility in line with our forum rules. Not all devices are capable of displaying all symbols, and the meaning of posts can become unclear.

We will review this policy in the near future, but because at the present time a large proportion of those accessing the forum are unable to properly view them, it is felt this policy is necessary.

Should you not be aware of what an 'Emoji' is, then you are probably not using them! But the following Wikipedia page contains some further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emoji

Further to the above, I would also like to request, particularly on behalf of infrequent and new visitors, that when using "jargon" (in particular acronyms and station codes), to ensure the meaning is clear and defined where necessary.

 

[Crossover]

I have wondered for a while what devices support/generates them. When I'm on a PC browsing the site I have occasionally seen references to them - completely meaningless, of course!

 

[miami]

I have wondered for a while what devices support/generates them. When I'm on a PC browsing the site I have occasionally seen references to them - completely meaningless, of course!

They are pictographs.

From Wikipedia:
"Emoji have become increasingly popular since their international inclusion in Apple's iPhone, which was followed by similar adoption by Android and other mobile operating systems.[2][3][4] Apple's OS X operating system supports emoji as of version 10.7 (Lion).[5] Microsoft added monochrome Unicode emoji coverage to the Segoe UI Symbol system font in Windows 8 and added color emoji in Windows 8.1 via the Segoe UI Emoji font."

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Here was I thinking that emoji was a rather expensive type of sushi...

 

[backontrack]

Here was I thinking that emoji was a rather expensive type of sushi...

Post of the year.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Personally I like the standard smiley and sadface icons as they allow you to show how you feel about it. But they are now many more weird ones with tongues out/eyes of different sizes/tears and smiles etc. And I struggle to understand if they are good or bad. When they don't work on this site I get a message like "[emoji140]" which is far less confusing in all probabillity.

The ones provided by the site includes the popular ones anyway. So I think this isn't a bad ban, although some might not get the memo with the annoucement being a thread and not a general message.

 

[EssexGonzo]

Here was I thinking that emoji was a rather expensive type of sushi...

I thought it was a member of the Koi family and was about to toddle off to the local acquatic centre to research some additions to my pond's wildlife!

Seriously, I'm a fan of simple emojis as they can sometimes take the edge off a post in a thread debate and make up for the loss of visual communication markers. We all know that email and electronic comms very quickly escalate towards unpleasantness when a similar face-to-face conversation wouldn't.

And a smiley face next to a disagreement tells me that someone is disagreeing nicely and respectfully. Which is nice.

 

[andywandy]

I agree with essexgonzo, a smiley face after someone posts a comment can really convey the message in a different way,

 

[Whistler40145]

I shall refrain from using emoji's in future posts. I found Apple's weren't compatible on RailUK.

 

[miami]

I agree with essexgonzo, a smiley face after someone posts a comment can really convey the message in a different way,

They do, but they've been around for decades before " : - ) " without spaces needed to be translated.

I had to get a pacer yesterday

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

I had to get a pacer yesterday

You used the wrong bracket if you'rr trying to make a smiley.

 

[miami]

It depends on what it's about. What thread did you want to start?
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

You used the wrong bracket if you'rr trying to make a smiley.

I wasn't crying tears of joy for being on a pacer (having transfer from traveling in F on a EMT train)

 

[Crossover]

= :cry:

 

[Jonfun]

The emoji issue is a fair point to raise yes - but it's important that we keep up with technology. I use emojis on whatsapp and other similar phone applications - have the forum staff looked to see if there is anyway of talking vBulletin into acknowledging their existence?

I only have direct experience with phpBB but surely there has to be a way of getting forum software to recognise emojis?

 

[Crossover]

So this comes up as a code for some, rather than as an image? ��

Well, Safari on an iPhone or iPad can't make any sense of them :P

 

[Bayum]

I was under the impression that when using acronyms m, the general rule was to show the full acronym/abbreviation first and foremost - National Health Service (NHS), followed by the abbreviation/acronym in brackets and the use of thereafter.

I must say I've had to think a few times on here where I've had to Google to find the words.

 

[Lrd]

Well, Safari on an iPhone or iPad can't make any sense of them :P

Chrome on Win10 they come up as a white question mark in a black diamond shape.

 

[HMS Ark Royal]

I wasn't crying tears of joy for being on a pacer (having transfer from traveling in F on a EMT train)

Why? I cry tears of joy when I get a pacer

 

[Mojo]

The emoji issue is a fair point to raise yes - but it's important that we keep up with technology. I use emojis on whatsapp and other similar phone applications - have the forum staff looked to see if there is anyway of talking vBulletin into acknowledging their existence?

I only have direct experience with phpBB but surely there has to be a way of getting forum software to recognise emojis?

Hi, there are no issues with displaying Emojis on the forum. I can see them fine when they are posted. It is that a large number of those viewing the forum are not able to view them.

 

[Xenophon PCDGS]

Hi, there are no issues with displaying Emojis on the forum. I can see them fine when they are posted. It is that a large number of those viewing the forum are not able to view them.

Thank you for acknowledging the fact that a large number of forum members find themselves in the same position as I.

 

[krus_aragon]

Chrome on Win10 they come up as a white question mark in a black diamond shape.

Likewise for Firefox and Slackware Linux.

 

[PermitToTravel]

They are visible when the forum is viewed from an iPhone (and possibly a few other devices), but not otherwise.

 

[Crossover]

They are visible when the forum is viewed from an iPhone (and possibly a few other devices), but not otherwise.

"PermitToTravel
don't take advice from me"

We won't

 

[Mojo]

I am new to the forum, please advise me where to start a new thread. Many thanks.

Click the "New thread" (

) button that appears below and underneath the list of threads in forums which you have permission to start a new thread in.

 

[andrewkeith5]

They are visible when the forum is viewed from an iPhone (and possibly a few other devices), but not otherwise.

They're visible when the forum is viewed from a device and software that has a font which supports them - for the majority of the basic emojis, that should be pretty much anything since around 2013.

Unfortunately for some weird reason, Google have included support in Chrome OS but not in Chrome - but then Chrome isn't great when it comes to standards either! Android has supported them from v4.1 upwards, Windows from 8 upwards (and I believe 7 was patched to support them, but if you have 7 or 8 and haven't upgraded to 10 you really should!) and OS X was the first to....

Unfortunately, most of the time the old (non standard) smilies don't show on my devices anymore because they all support the emoji character set so they don't translate plain text...

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Interestimg snapshot.
I also didn't get an Emoji for the 'tears of sadness' (?) posted by someone who dislikes pacer trains. But I get the others smileys.
On my phone I see blue colours everywhere and not orange, how do I change that? Also the member pictures are square and not round for me.

 

[andrewkeith5]

Interestimg snapshot.
I also didn't get an Emoji for the 'tears of sadness' (?) posted by someone who dislikes pacer trains. But I get the others smileys.
On my phone I see blue colours everywhere and not orange, how do I change that? Also the member pictures are square and not round for me.

Interesting - are you on Android or iOS? iOS never translates the "handwritten" smilies ever since emojis became standard text, and Tapatalk has always looked roughly like that to me! I can make it black with blue highlights by switching on night mode but can't get the profile pictures to go square.

 

[GrimsbyPacer]

Interesting - are you on Android or iOS? iOS never translates the "handwritten" smilies ever since emojis became standard text, and Tapatalk has always looked roughly like that to me! I can make it black with blue highlights by switching on night mode but can't get the profile pictures to go square.

I use Android on a Samsung phone.

 

[Juniper Driver]

Blimey.I rarely browse using a phone.Judging by half of London walking along staring at their phones it looks like i'm in a minority.

 

[swj99]

So this comes up as a code for some, rather than as an image? ��

I wondered what those weird symbols were. I thought it was some strange foreign typeface I didn't have installed on the computer. Google translate can't seem to work it out either.

What a load of old ���� !