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Now think about this.  You know how we're all doing away with punctuation o n our texts?  Well, a new study says that that very thing is what now stands in for the visual cues we used to get in face-to-face conversation. ‘Textisms’ convey meaning in absence of spoken conversation, says newswise.com. Emoticons, irregular spellings and exclamation points in text messages aren’t sloppy or a sign that written language is going down the tubes  — these “textisms” help convey meaning and intent in the absence of spoken conversation, according to newly published research from Binghamton University, State University of New York. “In contrast with face-to-face conversation, texters can’t rely on extra-linguistic cues such as tone of voice and pauses, or non-linguistic cues such as facial expressions and hand gestures,” says Binghamton University Professor of Psychology Celia Klin. “In a spoken conversation, the cues aren’t simply add-ons to our words; they convey criti...

They can make you smile.  Or cringe.  Or annoy the hell out of you if you're someone like me, who gets one in an email and doesn't have a clue what it stands for.   We're talking emojis . How can something invented barely 20 years ago in Japan (has it really been that long?).  And who came up with the word??? In any event, a new report investigates what effect they have on pretty much the last place you'd expect them.  The workplace.  Or, at least, the places I worked.  In fact,  sending and receiving emojis in the workplace could have an impact on productivity and innovation in the workplace, according to newswise.com. University of Delaware  management  professor  Kyle Emich  has explored the effects of emotions on teams and performance and is now taking on what effect, if any, they have on innovation and productivity. "In our lab, we normally induce emotional states by showing people happy or sad video clips or p...