brand-name emoticon

I think standard APIs are generally a good thing (decrease transaction costs) yet once in awhile one has to take a stand against standardization, the flattening of the extremes.

Some people fight J2EE or SAT or the standardization of spirituality catholic religions provide, I choose to fight the emoticon. Even if I know it's a fruitless fight - 100 years from now no one wil understand you unless you flatten your affect to one of the off-the-shelf products (imagine a Nokia smirk or a Nextel grimace).