4 ms·

I believe you need to mentally append a /s to the GP's comment.

by 2024throwaway 2y ago

kcplate 2y ago
I still find it wild the number of folks on HN who seem blind to obvious sarcasm. Perhaps if english is a second language you get a pass, but if english is your first language…oof.
- MattGaiser 2y ago
  It is hard to parse sarcasm in a world where opinions are much broader and varied than they used to be and signalling has become more pronounced and infused into life. You genuinely do get bloggers recommending ensuring you take a reusable bottle on a plane trip, that people take shorter showers, and don't leave the water running when brushing their teeth. It is reasonable to do all those things, but they are pretty small. Are these 3 sarcasm or real? - Wash your dishes in a bowl instead of a larger sink. - Fill your watering can waiting for the water to heat up - Put buckets in your shower. Answer. All real. One is a Google suggested tip for saving water. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+save+water+at+home&oq=how+to+save+water+at+h&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABKgCALACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+save+water+at+home&oq...
  - specialist 2y ago
    Those tips on their own are fine. It is absurd and counterproductive to then suggest those measures will meaningful impact a regional multi-year drought, while farmers continue to grow alfalfa and almonds.
- specialist 2y ago
  Recent zoom mtg: Tim tells a knock-knock joke. Dan doesn't get it. Multiple people then try to explain joke to Dan. Very painful. I still can't decide if Dan was trolling the group. Because no one can be that dense, right?
- marnett 2y ago
  The site guidelines for this forum advise against humor, and sarcasm is arguably a subset of humor. The site guidelines also advise to read things in the best interpretable way. So ultimately what you observe is a large number of folks on HN follow the site guidelines - which is wild, but in a good way. This thread is a nice example of why those guidelines are in place, as humor and sarcasm stifle conversation, as contributors feel they don’t need to make meaningful contributions to threads as long as it’s a joke.
  - kcplate 2y ago
    > humor and sarcasm stifle conversation …or punctuate conversation vis-á-vis reductio ad absurdum
    - marnett 2y ago
      I personally love comedy - hn isn’t the place for it however, as the community has decided so. Even if humor was determined to be the highest form of conversational contribution, it doesn’t take away that this forum has decided it prefers to do without it. I’m just echoing the guidelines, as I see many users act confused when they receive best interpretations of their comments or receive downvotes for their humor. It isn’t wild, no one is forced to participate here.
      - kcplate 2y ago
        Whether or not it’s part of the community guidelines is beside the point. The point was that someone should be able to easily identify obvious sarcasm and absurdity if English is your first language without the need for a “/s”
- sircastor 2y ago
  Sarcasm is by definition a statement that has a differing meaning than it would otherwise hold. Sarcasm is accomplished by vocal intonation, and at a stretch, by context. Any sentence read lacks the information to identify it as sarcasm unless it's explicitly stated.
  - drewcoo 2y ago
    > Sarcasm is by definition https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcasm https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcasm > accomplished by vocal intonation, and at a stretch, by context You must be using a different dictionary from the rest of us. > Any sentence read lacks the information to identify it as sarcasm unless it's explicitly stated. There's a skill called "reading comprehension" that can really help with this.

I believe you need to mentally append a /s to the GP's comment.

I still find it wild the number of folks on HN who seem blind to obvious sarcasm. Perhaps if english is a second language you get a pass, but if english is your first language…oof.

MattGaiser 2y ago
It is hard to parse sarcasm in a world where opinions are much broader and varied than they used to be and signalling has become more pronounced and infused into life. You genuinely do get bloggers recommending ensuring you take a reusable bottle on a plane trip, that people take shorter showers, and don't leave the water running when brushing their teeth. It is reasonable to do all those things, but they are pretty small. Are these 3 sarcasm or real? - Wash your dishes in a bowl instead of a larger sink. - Fill your watering can waiting for the water to heat up - Put buckets in your shower. Answer. All real. One is a Google suggested tip for saving water. https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+save+water+at+home&oq=how+to+save+water+at+h&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqBwgAEAAYgAQyBwgAEAAYgAQyBggBEEUYOTIHCAIQABiABDIHCAMQABiABDIHCAQQABiABDIHCAUQABiABDIHCAYQABiABDIHCAcQABiABDIHCAgQABiABDIHCAkQABiABKgCALACAQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+save+water+at+home&oq...
- specialist 2y ago
  Those tips on their own are fine. It is absurd and counterproductive to then suggest those measures will meaningful impact a regional multi-year drought, while farmers continue to grow alfalfa and almonds.
specialist 2y ago
Recent zoom mtg: Tim tells a knock-knock joke. Dan doesn't get it. Multiple people then try to explain joke to Dan. Very painful. I still can't decide if Dan was trolling the group. Because no one can be that dense, right?
marnett 2y ago
The site guidelines for this forum advise against humor, and sarcasm is arguably a subset of humor. The site guidelines also advise to read things in the best interpretable way. So ultimately what you observe is a large number of folks on HN follow the site guidelines - which is wild, but in a good way. This thread is a nice example of why those guidelines are in place, as humor and sarcasm stifle conversation, as contributors feel they don’t need to make meaningful contributions to threads as long as it’s a joke.
- kcplate 2y ago
  > humor and sarcasm stifle conversation …or punctuate conversation vis-á-vis reductio ad absurdum
  - marnett 2y ago
    I personally love comedy - hn isn’t the place for it however, as the community has decided so. Even if humor was determined to be the highest form of conversational contribution, it doesn’t take away that this forum has decided it prefers to do without it. I’m just echoing the guidelines, as I see many users act confused when they receive best interpretations of their comments or receive downvotes for their humor. It isn’t wild, no one is forced to participate here.
    - kcplate 2y ago
      Whether or not it’s part of the community guidelines is beside the point. The point was that someone should be able to easily identify obvious sarcasm and absurdity if English is your first language without the need for a “/s”
sircastor 2y ago
Sarcasm is by definition a statement that has a differing meaning than it would otherwise hold. Sarcasm is accomplished by vocal intonation, and at a stretch, by context. Any sentence read lacks the information to identify it as sarcasm unless it's explicitly stated.
- drewcoo 2y ago
  > Sarcasm is by definition https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcasm https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sarcasm > accomplished by vocal intonation, and at a stretch, by context You must be using a different dictionary from the rest of us. > Any sentence read lacks the information to identify it as sarcasm unless it's explicitly stated. There's a skill called "reading comprehension" that can really help with this.