Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!jurjen
From: jurjen@cwi.nl (Jurjen N.E. Bos)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Etymology of the :-) sign
Message-ID: <7512@boring.cwi.nl>
Date: 24 Feb 88 14:47:13 GMT
Organization: CWI, Amsterdam
Lines: 13
Keywords: joking


Hi there,
I see everybody in all different newsgroups use the :-) sign.
What I'm interested in:
- where does it come from?
- who invented it?
- is it special for computer users (because ASCII) or used in a broader
     circuit?
- is it an imitation of some thing (I know people using <) to represent
     an eye).

I like the sign, and I am interested in etymology by hobby only.
--     Jurjen.