DWIDM (Doing What I Don't Mean)

[jducoeur]

Okay, yes -- it's nice that Microsoft products auto-translate the standard emoticons into cute icons in many of their products. But may I say how annoying it is that they go so far overboard? When I say "(b)" in the company wiki, it means I have a list labeled "(a)", "(b)", "(c)", and so on. It does not mean "icon of a mug of beer"...

Comments

[rufinia.livejournal.com]

I KNOW. It doesn't bother me that that is an option. It bothers be GREATLY that that is the default.

[liamstliam.livejournal.com]

You say "icon of a mug of beer" as though it is a bad thing.

;)

[yakshaver.livejournal.com]

Not that I don't already try to avoid microsoft products whenever possible, but, please, tell me which of their products have this misfeature?

[jducoeur]

I believe it's in MSN Messenger, where it at least makes *some* sense to do this kind of auto-interpretation of emoticons. (I still think it's a misfeature, but it's one that some users would appreciate.)

But it's also in FlexWiki (the open-source .NET wiki system), which I think is just daft...

[mindways]

Yeah. Back when we were using MSN Messenger, I ran into this - I kept emoticons turned off, so I didn't notice it until I provided a list of options, and my manager asked a co-worker's opinion. It went something like:

"The angel, the beer, and the martini are all viable options. The beer is probably better than the martini, and going with the angel precludes any of the other choices."