One other note--I have a kind of formal and sometimes blunt writing style that sometimes is interpreted to mean things that it doesn't mean. If I get on someone's case, it will be obvious, not something that has to be discerned between the lines. If you have a question about one of my posts, PM me for a clarification rather than stewing about it.
When I first started posting on forums, I didn't really like all the smilies, but I have come to the conclusion that judicious use of them can clarify intent. A smilie at the end of a sentence can communicate a jesting intent when the words may connote the opposite.