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Ever killed a fly because it annoyed you? This is not much different. In fact, this was done for science.
by aw3c2 10y ago
Ever killed a fly because it annoyed you? This is not much different. In fact, this was done for science.
- jakeogh 10y agoDo we really need the /s tag on something so obvious?
- kbenson 10y agoUnfortunately, yes. Keep in mind that in text any vocal tone and visual clues are lost, and a lot of sarcasm is signaled those ways, so some additional indication in text is useful. Also, Poe's law is alive and well here. You assumed it was sarcasm, but I'm not so sure. It's not too far fetched for me to imagine someone thinks mashing up bugs to spread on a plastic bag is horrible. See my first paragraph for the solution to this...
- lerpa 10y agoOh sure because satire wasn't commonplace in books long before the internet. How would those poor souls have figured it out it wasn't serious?! IMPOSSIBLE. Regarding Poe's law, if it looks like sarcasm assume it is and move on, but I understand that commenting on the internet is of utmost importance and a task that shouldn't be taken lightly.
- alexvoda 10y agoFor what it's worth, in books and other print media it is usually easier to tell if a piece of text is sarcasm or not based on context.
- EGreg 10y agoWhat /s tag? It seems genuine and has NO TAG.
- adventist 10y agoI didn't think it was sarcasm. Its a bit sad that they had to squash up the bugs just to run that test.
- leoreeves 9y agoYep, it wasn't sarcasm. http://reducing-suffering.org/do-bugs-feel-pain/ http://reducing-suffering.org/do-bugs-feel-pain/
- sillysaurus3 10y agoI try not to kill flies, no. The only exception is for multiple flies that won't go away. Ditto for ants. It's a bit strange that violence toward insects is fine, but violence towards dogs is not. Ever killed a dog because it annoyed you? That said, doing it for science at least has a justification.
- TheSpiceIsLife 10y agoWell, some insects represent a genuine threat to food supplies and the spread of disease. I don't really follow where you're going with the dog example. What kind of comparison is that supposed to be? Edit to add: Even ants produce antibiotics that they groom on to their bodies to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungus on themselves and inside their nests. So I'm going to continue to swat flies and not lose any sleep over it.
- sillysaurus3 10y agoProbably a bad one. I agree that killing insects is fine if there's a reason. But I was reacting to "I kill things because they annoy me." Which is valid, but always frustrating. My parents used to flip out and kill caterpillars, spiders, etc whenever they saw them. More than once I'd notice one and corral them outside while my parents weren't looking. There's just no point in killing something because it simply exists. None of this probably matters though.
- notpresident 10y agoAt home it was my Dad who told me to be nice to spiders. :-)
- jschwartzi 10y agoMine too! He would tell me that the spiders are helpful because they kill other bugs, and to leave them alone or put them outside. The more I think about these things, the more connected even the small things in our world are.