"Joke" Conversation Thread in which the :

In September 1982, Scott Fahlman proposed the use of :-) and :-( as joke markers in electronic communications, leading to the creation of the modern emoticon. This proposal, originating from a Carnegie Mellon University bulletin board, quickly spread beyond the university, with various symbols being suggested for different types of messages. The idea was to help users discern the tone of messages in the absence of non-verbal cues, marking the beginning of a significant aspect of digital communication.