Contrariwise to your blatant assumption, I’m not proposing a system where users can edit each others’ posts. I’m just toying with the idea of word filters, not too different from the ones that already exist for slurs in Lemmy.
For example. If you write [insert slur here], it gets replaced with removed. What if it replaced emojis with “I’m braindead.”? That’s it.
(Before yet another assumer starts doing its shit: the idea is not too serious.)
They would be less obnoxious if used sparingly, but they wouldn’t be effective unless the reason why they’re used changed, from graphical echo (“I saw a cat today 🐱”) and mood/attitude particles (like you did) to ideographic usage (e.g. “I saw a 🐱 today”). Plus they’re still colourful and attention-grabbing drawings within text, they detract attention from the text itself.
Can’t distractions from the text sometimes be exactly what you want?
And have you seen an emoji perfectly complete a meme when being used for mood? How about convey lighthearted intent when discussing a serious subject?
