1.) Admit you have a problem.

2.) Apologize to those you have hurt through your addiction.

Cabbages

3.) Begin by writing your first cheeky online sentence emoticon-free.

again

4.) Do not be discouraged if your first attempt at eliminating the emoticon is not a success. Don't assign blame. Just keep trying.

not

NO

NO

NO

5. ) Take emoticon reduction one day at a time. Don't forget to say the Emoticonics Anonymous pledge.

5 and 1/4) Find friends who also have issues with emoticon abuse to act as part of a network.

Since I've been posting regularly on a few forums I've come to realize that...(sniff)...I am an Emoticonic. :(I am addicted to using the little semi-colon and closed-parenthesis symbol willy-nilly online to convey "I am joking here, friends."As a result, I subject my fellow posters to rivers of smiley-faces dripping down their screen.I can't help myself. :( It's just when posting, I become concerned that no amount of editing will ensure everyone gets the joke. I worry about angry mobs, villagers with torches pounding down my virtual door, all for the case of a misunderstanding or a casual opinion they might disagree with. :(And in the stress of it-- I find myself reaching for that semi-colon or colon...The parens are only a short slide from there. :(And I know I'm not alone. Heck, hundreds... thousands... maybe even hundreds of thousands of people out there in cyberspace abuse emoticons every day. So how can we put an end to it?Well, now there's Emoticonics Anonymous, :) the support group designed specifically to gently assist people with Emoticon Addiction and guide us along the path to reducing-- and eventually ending-- the unnecessary addition of smileys, frownies and surprised faces.The program has easy, step-by-step instructions, that allow Emoticonics to live happier, more emoticon-free lives, no matter what type of feedback we expect to receive. And it all begins with the first step:Hi, my name is Jenn, and I am an Emoticonic :) I've abused emoticons for... oh... going on three years now. Blogcatalog friends, CottageLiving Forum buds, Friends of... I owe you all a huge apology :( for littering your forums, and your blog comments, with an endless supply of unnecessary punctuation in the form of goodwill. :) It was my personal insecurity that my online compadres wouldn't understand my tone-- my sense of humor-- that led to such graphics atrocities. I hope you can forgive me. :) :) :)"If Katie Couric has one more eye-job, her chin will have a navel.".... : .... no.....: ..... must resist.... ;...... must not ..... :) :) :)Ugh. Off the wagon"If Mark Wahlberg can learn to raise one eyebrow, this means he'll have TWO facial expressions."... : Must try not to.... ; Mustsemi-colon......... ;.....parenthesis...........Phew! That was a close one."Give me the strength this day to respect my fellow posters, to post wisely, kindly, logically, to communicate clearly and, above all, to post emoticon-free."I hereby invite my fellow Emoticonics to stand up, and share their stories. When you attempt to quit smiley-facing, you do a very brave thing. :) .... (oops... I'll work on it.)------------------------------------------------------Vote for this post at Humor-blogs , a wholly unofficial sponsor of Emoticonics Anonymous, The Animated Bullets Liberation Association, and Adsense Clutter Cleaners.