Hi, Eric!
I just mentioned possible reasons why some ladies blocked who sent only an emoticon in the first contact, basing in the own comments of the women in the post cited by me. I did not mention my opinion about the issue in my previous comment.
I never blocked anyone on this site. But any member may have the own motives to block an user here. What I described is one of them. In the forum, I already saw some men complaining that some girls block them after to do that in the first contact. The author is an example. Perhaps the reason is another, but the fact is that some women have already blocked who acted so.
So, basing on what I have seen in the forum, I would not recommend to send only an emoticon in the first letter to a strange person, despite some people appreciate that. I even like to receive smileys too. But I never sent it as first contact to a woman.