TL;DR is not merely about summarizing. It's a way, especially in the Reddit community, to add something extra. TL;DR can be a summary, but it can also be a tool

TL;DR is not merely about summarizing. It's a way, especially in the Reddit community, to add something extra. TL;DR can be a summary, but it can also be a tool for sarcasm, smugness, or getting a certain tone across. Sure you can summarize yourself in the opening line, but you can also make a calculated choice to use TL;DR for some other motive. I often find TL;DR to be a cynical view of your readership because it's as if you're stating, "I know what I wrote is long, and you readers aren't taking the time my writing deserves! So I'm just going to put this summary at the end to shut you up."