A Chat Room Like No Other

Steven Johnson describes the emotional interface over There.

The software translates common emoticons and other abbreviations (such as LOL for “laughing out loud”) into gestures and expressions. It also automatically parses a small subset of words: If you type yes, your avatar will nod its head. Most of the time users convey emotion by typing short keystrokes, intensifying or dampening down their feelings depending on the situation. For example, typing angry with one apostrophe in front of the word gets you a scowl, while typing ”’angry actually bares the incisors.

—A Chat Room Like No Other (Discover)