It's a bot. One of the trademarks is that they 99% of the times place that darned smiley in their topics. Another trademark is completely random posts camoflagued as helpful posts.
If you join a gaming forum, your first post would probably be along the lines of "Hi everyone. I just wanted to say that this site is awesome. Found lots of games. Keep it up!" or "I just saw this discussion, and I have to say that... yattiyah yah.... oh... Hi, by the way." A person rarely creates the very first post ever in a new forum to be "Hi! If you turn your pants inside out before placing them in the washer, the colours stay for longer! It's awesome, and it really works! Check
this site for more information on the technique, and
this site to get a great deal on a washer in your community!"
Just ask any of the Game Forum moderators. They see more than their share of bot-attacks.