In this Smilies addon (which is probably the most popular free miniBB addon) release, we have just implemented the overall layout of pop-up window (smilies are arranged in rows and columns now) and added new funny smilies by default. Now this addon includes 54 smilies, including few "simple" and mostly animated stuff.

It is not required to update this addon, if your version is running smoothly. There are no critical or security updates.

As usually, this addon could be tested on minibbtest site.

Regarding the questions why we're not including this addon in miniBB core, I would additionally mention the article of famous digital artist and creative director from Russia, Artemy Lebedev. In the article called "Informal Typographics" he is mentioning the smilies as an expressive method. However, his positive opinion affects only smilies typed directly in text, using typographic idiograms like colons or parentheses. He writes:

While the smilies consist of signs of punctuation, we meet a really clear method of typographics (let's not forget that at the beginning the rome digits actually did not consist of latin letters, too). That's why it's needed and possible to use them :-)

But while we meet smilies which are inserted in the text as images (specially animated), it is possible to say surely we've come at some degenerated forums :-(

So, be careful with this addon ;-) On minibb.com, we have closely the same opinion as Artemy regarding the smilies. However nothing is more important that the people's choice. If your visitors are liking the pictured smilies - just give them out.

Updated addon starts the upcoming queue of the new updates which we plan to release next month. They will include new miniBB release (without critical changes this time), Polls addon and few updated old stuff. Be prepared for the Summer!

Thank you for the translation the most important points :). I now have the same opinion about smilies - they may be good for some forums, but when the forum matures and gets to the "next level" and the user base is more serious, they may be distracting. I personally don't like any graphic in posts - because the first thing I notice is the graphic, not the actual meaning of the message.

I actually did a small test and disabled the smilies addon; after 2 days nobody seems to notice that (and my forum members don't afraid to speak out if they don't like something ;). So I think I'll disable this feature (especially that it may save some resources).

especially that it may save some resources

- that's also true, on active forums you may even save some traffic...