Before, after, or not at all?

[Captain Maxx Power]

Simple question based upon a grammatical thought I had. If you choose to end a sentance with a smilie, do you place your full stop before the smilie, after the smilie, or omit it entirely thus giving the smilie the dual purpose of expressing your feelings and effectively showing the end of a sentance?

[Jowy]

I use a smilie as icing on the cake when I'm finished getting my point across. ;)

[rubah]

Emoticons replace standard punctuation (.) But if you have a non-declaratory statement (interrogatory, impertive, exclamatory) then you should use punctuation. I would add my punctuation after the emoticon.

^_^!

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

If anywhere, they belong outside, since emoticons naturally have no station in Syntax. But I doubt the kind of person who uses emoticons would know that or care.

[Yamaneko]

You can only use emoticons as full stops if you're clout and even then the ethics behind it are iffy at best.

[sephirothishere]

it should have plenty of dots before or after it...jsu as long as you dont forget the dots.......like so.....:shifty:....

[Bart's Friend Milhouse]

The only smilie worth a damn is the full stop smilie -----> .

[Vikeve]

Never thought about it I just think there pretty see :) but then online i don't pay attention to grammar at all.

[oddler]

You caught me at my game, bub. Let me ponder this and say that, odds are, I have made plenty of mistakes thus far. :cry:

Crap. It also depends on the use of the smilie.

[kikimm]

I use a smilie as icing on the cake when I'm finished getting my point across. ;)

Yes.

Although I never thought about it quite like that before.

[Vincent, Thunder God]

I put mine after the period. The sentence is a seperate idea to the emotion that goes with it, therefore the sentence must end before the smilie.

[rubah]

Good grief guys, do you tell anyone *anything* with a blank look on your face? You're all so unrealistic!

[Yamaneko]

Do you speak in monotone while smiling? That's unrealistic.

[The Summoner of Leviathan]

Mostly before, sometimes after.

[Ryth]

I place the full stop after the smilie.

[Yuffie514]

i end my sentences with a smile, or just put one at the end, while still intending to go on.

[Martyr]

I thought you said simile.

:quarter:

[Zeromus_X]

I usually put them after a punctuation mark. :cat:

[Chloe.]

I thought you said simile.

:quarter:

So did I :bigsmile:

[Rase]

I always put it after the punctuation. Putting a smilie before or instead of it just looks odd.

[theundeadhero]

This is too far advanced guys. I'm still learning about adverb clauses and participle phrases. I'll let you know after my quiz next week.

[starseeker]

If I feel the need to use a smilie then I put it after the full stop.:tonberry:

[Sergeant Hartman]

Smilies are the new full stops :cool:

[Sefie1999AD]

You can only use emoticons as full stops if you're clout and even then the ethics behind it are iffy at best.

:D Hmm, I insert the full stop before the smilies, though on some very rare cases, such as this one, it seems I can also start a paragraph with a smiley. :p However, even then, I'll start the next word with a capital letter.

[Owen Macwere]

Before. :bigsmile: <-----------This tells it all.

[Levian]

Wha:greenie:t's wro:png wi:mad2:th hav:mog:ing them in the mid:smash:dle of wo:)rds?

Punctuation before the smilie is obviously the way to go.

[blackmage_nuke]

I call it a period instead of a full stop. :)

I like to put a space bar between the period and smilie as well.

There will be no period or smilie at the end of this sentence as I choose to be ironic

[Mirage]

Punctuation after smilie. If you write multiple sentences, and put the smilie after the comma or full stop, the smilie appears to be part of the next sentence.
Example: Why do you hate me? :( I've never done anything to you.
The smilie obviously appears to be part of the second sentence, which it is not meant to.

[Madame Adequate]

Do you speak in monotone while smiling? That's unrealistic.

Do you read in monotone? :confused:

Oh, and I think mostly I put it after the period. There may be exceptions here and there, but for the most part yes, the period comes first, then the smilie, then the continuiation of my thought. If such exists. :jess:

[Quindiana Jones]

I think I use them all. Depends whether or not I can be arsed :bigsmile: . :bigsmile:

[rubah]

Do you speak in monotone while smiling? That's unrealistic.

I can't help having a monotone! :mad2:

Was that more varied, yams?

[XxSephirothxX]

Usually I put emoticons after a period or just at the end of the post. Sometimes you just have to mix things up, though.