Motivations
From Smiley Ontology
After observing the Limits of today's plain usage of smileys (emoticons) and the fact that applications can not manipulate with them and their context, we saw the solution in describing the semantics of smileys. If we decompose the structure of a smiley and RDFise it, we will unleash the power of emoticon, that now remains captured in "those little pictures".
Before modeling ontology, we have defined main motivations that guided us in modeling phase, but that will also be guide for developers that will implement it:
- Interoperability considering emoticon interchange between different systems
- Enabling mining throughout emoticon context
- Using emoticon instead of text (where possible) as easier, faster, and semantically richer way of expressing
- Emotional experience adaptation
Interoperability considering emoticon interchange between different systems
If we look at today's Instant Messengers, Social Networks, mobile phone software... we can see that each of them has its own system of emoticons providing to their users. By each defining its own emoticon system in their own way (considering both he picture of emoticon as well as its meaning) applications disables each other to exchange those emoticons. It also limits user to use just systems predefined emoticons. By describing the structure and meaning of an emoticon, that interchange can be easily done. It even enables that if an application receives an emoticon it doesn't have in its emoticon system, based on emoticons context, application can find a proper substitute with, at least, similar meaning.
Enabling mining throughout emoticon context
In everyday communication we often express our emotions or states, both using the words or emoticons. Searching and mining throughout our messages are done only using words and their context. Now, that search can be upgraded by utilising the emoticons. Search engines will now be able to include emoticon context thus giving better search results. Applications will also be able to filter your messages by different emotional states. And emotional filtering combined with regular search can be powerful and very useful service. Ultimately, including emotions in search operations will give the whole new perspective of using search capabilities of an application.
Using emoticon instead of text (where possible) as easier, faster, and semantically richer way of expressing
Because sometimes it is more interesting to use emoticons instead of typing words, and also easier to pass the desired message.
Emotional experience adaptation
Emotions are important part of our life, and almost everything we do is based upon our current mood or state (the music we listen, desired ambient, etc.). If the machines were able to capture it, they would be also able to automatically fulfill and satisfy our needs, and to bring us much richer experience, as illustrated by scenarios.
