A fix to xkcd’s emoticons + parentheses problem

xkcd comic #541 (titled “TED Talk”) expose a problem I’ve long been aware of: how do you end parenthetical statements with emoticons ?

Randall reveal two possible solutions:

1. … Linux (or BSD :) would…
2. … Linux (or BSD :) ) would…

Of course, none of these are acceptable ! But today, I think I’ve found the definitive solution…

As you may know, unicode comes with loads of weird characters. The weirdest are called dingbats. Beside this family, you’ll find the weirdest of the weirdest, which contain 2 interesting symbols:

• ☹ (aka white frowning face)
• ☺ (aka white smiling face)

So using the latest, our statement become:

… Linux (or BSD ☺) would…

Problem solved !