I actually pondered making that into an AskHN discussion after writing my reply - proposing to add "sarcasm" and "joke" tags more readily, but it occurred to me

I actually pondered making that into an AskHN discussion after writing my reply - proposing to add "sarcasm" and "joke" tags more readily, but it occurred to me that this is precisely how it should be and how people like it. It's a kind of hypersensitivity that acts as quality control. Instead of firing off sarcasm quickly without too much thought and cheaply pointing it out with a "sarcasm" badge, you only get to make jokes or be sarcastic if it is very, very well thought through. I actually got away with (meaning - positive karma) a joke the other day, although I later pointed it out in a reply to somebody who didn't realize it. Still - felt like an accomplishment and I suppose that's how it should be.