HN Explorer

Tell HN: Web Standard for Sarcasm

7 points by jpwagner ↗ HN
In the past, bloggers/trolls/users who are being sarcastic had 4 options:

1. no indication of sarcasm

result: at least one reader thinks they are serious and replies with some nonsense response wasting his and other readers' time

2. <sarcasm /> tag

result: super dorky, too verbose

3. sw

result: no one knows what this means (see #1)

4. ps: i was being sarcastic

result: you are also a loser

THE NEW WEB STANDARD FOR SARCASM:

A committee of supernerds convened the other day and decided the new standard is to only capitalize the second letter of the sarcastic word:

for example:

  Joe: I configurated it yesterday.
  Bob: Configurated?  Don't you mean configured?
  Joe: sOrry!

23 comments

[ 4.3 ms ] story [ 45.3 ms ] thread
NathanKP
That will be eAsily understood. I prefer the <sarcasm></sarcasm> tags. ;)
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DenisM
I have a better idea - no sarcasm on HN, at all. Because it usually detracts from the discussion rather than enhancing it.
tptacek
tHanks fOr yOur cOncern. But I think we'll be OK.
DenisM
My suggestion is addressed to the mature HN members that are both able and willing to engage in a civilized discussion.

Hopefully you and other ethusiasts of flinging the metaphorical poo will not be able to disrupt the conversation.

avalean
How about just adding something at the start of the word. !"#$%&/()='+*

Many characters that can be utilized and are easily added.

I think it's a !great idea

gojomo
That some people don't get sarcasm is a feature, not a bug.
gojomo
I refuse to use this in the title of my forthcoming self-help book, "Sarcasm Can Be So Helpful In Your Relationships".
sutro
Homer: Stupid driving test at the stupid DMV where stupid Patty and stupid Selma work! Sometimes I think God is teasing me...just like he teased Moses in the desert.

Marge: Tested, Homer! God tested Moses. And try to be nice to my sisters. It's very hard on me to have you fighting all the time.

Homer: Oh, OK Marge, I'll get along with them. Then, I will hug some snakes...yes! Then, I will hug and kiss some poisonous snakes. Now _that's_ sarcasm.

pwmanagerdied
I actually like this idea quite a bit.

No sarcasm.

edw519
A committee of supernerds convened the other day and decided the new standard is...

<sarcasm>

Which means that if you're still using ie, you have to continue using the deprecated standard.

</sarcasm>

madair
A wink works pretty good, and often relieves potential tension, i.e. ;-)

And for the people who can get off a high horse about online slang and talk with a bit of inflection, gratuitous emotional additions like Whoahohoho and Ohhhh work pretty good too. A lot of people are really too into formal communication though, as evidenced by those commenting here who don't appreciate the value of well placed sarcasm.

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zaidf
Then we can have a sarcasm search engine!
trylks
I think there is a typo, you should have written STandard, thus also forming a paradox :D (have in mind that language is a sort of de facto standard, otherwise communication would be impossible)

I'll assume you are serious. Capitalizing the second letter you can still be sarcastic without people noticing it (see #3), you are stating that you are sarcastic so you are a loser (see #4), and you are a nerd for committing to a "standard" made by "supernerds".

Sarcasm has existed since the human being exists, probably before, fortunately we all have now the standard we needed from the very beginning.

See? No paradox here.

olliesaunders
Video subtitlers use this notation: (!) to denote sarcasm. Could we not popularize that?
mr_dbr
The "new web standard" is as obscure as "sw", and has various flaws.. Perhaps the biggest flaw is that the notation does not work for all-upper-case sarcasm, such as "A web standard for sarcasm? That's REALLY great idea.."