Smiley images are visual representations of text displayed in posts. For example, when you type :) in a message, you will see a :) smiley image when the final post is created. This is the default setting, but you can change it according to your preference.

To disable smiley images, click the Profile button (found in the top menu bar of the forum). From your profile page, click the Edit Profile button; this takes you to the Edit Profile & Settings Page. Once here, click on the Settings tab; near the bottom of the page, you'll find the option for Smiles Default. When this is set to Enabled, plain text like :) will convert to a smiley image. When set to Disabled, plain text in the post will not convert to smiley images. When you are finished, click the Save Account Settings button. This change takes effect immediately.

Keep in mind that this is a personal setting that affects how posts are displayed to you when logged into your account. If you have smiles disabled in your profile, other forum members and guests may still see smiles in your post. To prevent others from seeing smiley images in new posts that you create, click the Insert Smiley BBCode button found above the message area, and in the drop-down menu that appears, click the Disable Smiles option. Then, plain text will not be rendered as a smiley image for anyone that views your post.