Right at the top, there is a large field with the text 'Search in Gardenweb ... ' When you type in your keyword, you'll be given the option of Computer Help or Advice (all of the GW forums). There are many other search options as well.

Sorry, but I really don't know of any emoticons that I would consider safe to download.

There may be, I just don't know about them.

I know it amuses some folk to dress up their email with emoticons or fancy "stationery", but not only is there a risk in doing so there is also the fact that it's sometimes meaningless. There is no guarantee that your recipient will see what you're sending given the wide variety of email clients/web mail services in use. Do as you wish...just something to consider.

I don't know much about those sites (safe or not), but in my case (and FWIW) I collect mine individually from forums. E.g. I would create a folder in Pictures (Windows 7) and call it "Smileys." Then I go to something like the Opera browser forums. I'd pick a long thread likely to contain a lot of casual discussion, like this one and scan down the page -- and through all the pages -- looking at their smileys. If I find any I like, I right-click on it and save it to the Smileys (or is it "Smilies"?) folder, renaming it appropriately. Then in my email software -- and in most of my webmail clients -- it's easy to add one to the email by browsing to the file and insert it.

I don't go crazy with this. I probably only have about 12-15 of them, just to add a visual expression to something I'm saying, and only when writing to friends casually.

Haven't heard much lately either way as to smiley download safety. It wasn't all that long ago the smiley/emoticon and font downloads were recognized as major sources of viruses.

DA