If you don't include the exclamation points sometimes your emails look cold and unfeeling. I feel idiotic using as many exclamation points as I do but don't see any alternative. Can some font-expert come up with a new form of punctuation please?

Amen!

The overuse of exclamation points is part of the general exaggeration, aggressiveness, and extremism of our culture. We exaggerate our claims, our confidence, our accusations, our opinions. From the old model of the mellifluous sound of the voice of Walter Cronkite, we now have at best exaggerated banter and at worst a nasty, somewhat nasal hectoring, and always loud, as if there weren't a microphone handy, on television and in daily life. At least the use of exclamation points in emails and texts has the benevolent motivation of trying not to come across as dour or stern!

Consider yourself lucky that emails from your friends only end, or contain in their text, an exclamation point; among my European friends, it seems to be standard practice to start emails with it: Dear Caroe! I've a sneaking suspicion this harks back to the Classical Latin salutation: Ave Atque! (Hail and Farewell! We who are about to die salute you!) Communication is becoming more like gladiatorial combat every day.