Engaging as always, Clive! I almost always use "bangs" (exclamation points) when I make a personal statement with any level of warmth or enthusiasm--for the very reasons you detail. (Sometimes I don't end texts with a period because it makes me look like an anal stuffed shirt, but I use them elsewhere for clarity.) Also, I like em-dashes without spaces--they're old fashioned but somehow they seem noble and striking in some traditional way.