A bulletin board user posted a hypothetical problem about a mercury spill in a lift, which caused a minor panic when some users took it literally. In the aftermath, another online user, Scott Fahlman, suggested they use a marker to show when future messages were a joke.
A colon; followed by a dash; followed by a closing round bracket, to create a sideways smiley face – and an opening round bracket to show a sad face.
This would help clarify the nature of the post – whether it was serious or not.
Within a few months it was picked up by others on the campus.
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