*starts thread about using asterisks as parentheses*

[TheMelodyMaker]

Okay, seriously: I've noticed this for quite a long time, and have even become accustomed to doing it myself -- but what's the history behind the practice of enclosing a phrase in asterisks to indicate an action (real or imaginary) on the part of the poster, or even just some kind of action in general?

In all fairness, this isn't something that I absolutely have to know; but I am rather curious as to how it all got started.

[Nate]

I don't know, I just do. I thought parentheses indicated whispering, or something that was off topic.

Like if I was to say:

Oh man, I really hated Gundam SEED (though Wing was decent).

Or if I went:

Dude, I totally responded to your thread! (Even though I didn't answer your question.)

[Ingemar]

The point of parentheses is to place an "aside" within a sentence. An aside, if you have ever read Shakespeare, is like a phrase uttered under your breath. Or it can be a phrase that relates to the sentence it is in. The important (and really important) thing about parentheses is that you can skip reading them in the sentence and make the sentence still sound cohesive and logical (though you'll miss the meaning within the parentheses!).

[rii namuras]

(And of course, some of us use parentheses... Because we just plain use parentheses all the time. ::smiles oh-so innocently:: )

[TheMelodyMaker]

My apologies for not making myself clear in my opening post (which I've just edited to add emphasis); I'm already fully aware of the purpose of parentheses. What I'm asking about is enclosing phrases in asterisks, not parentheses. ^_^;

But thank you for your thoughts anyway.

[CreatureArt]

Wow. That's an interesting question. I'll be interested to see if anyone has an answer; I don't really know. I could make a few stabs in the dark, but I don't think I'd manage to impale a cohesive idea.

[uc pseudonym]

I believe a phrase enclosed in asterisks is called an "emote" and, as you obviously understand, it indicates an action. In terms of the history and origins of it, emotes have been used for much longer than I have been involved with the internet, and I would imagine it would be impossible to find any specific origin.

However, they are a fairly logical extension of the way some people view forums or the internet. Some do not view this as exchanging text, but as a second reality, so to speak. Hence, some manner of denoting actions was created.