this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2023
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[–] Neato@kbin.social 20 points 1 year ago (2 children)

/s is an excellent modifier for sarcasm. There's no tone in text and bold/italic can only do so much. And with how many absolute crackpots are posting all over the internet, I'd prefer to be sure to not lump in a jokester with the absolute nutjobs.

[–] kitedemon@lemmy.blahaj.zone 4 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Also helpful for people with trouble reading tone in text cuz of things like autism.

[–] Nittick@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago
[–] Veraxus@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

...and writing tone... for the same reasons. 😬

[–] Ignacio@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

It wouldn't be the first time I get myself into a trouble because of that :(

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That’s the only legitimate defense for having to tag your sarcasm I’ve ever read.

Back in MY DAY, nobody tagged their sarcasm on BBS or IRC and we ALL UNDERSTOOD AAAAA (but srsly for folks who have trouble with tone you’re fully right.)

[–] candybrie@lemmy.world 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)

What are you talking about? Even usenet in the 80s recommended using emoticons to mark sarcasm/joking remarks.

Avoid sarcasm and facetious remarks.

Without the voice inflection and body language of personal communication these are easily misinterpreted. A sideways smile, :-), has become widely accepted on the net as an indication that "I'm only kidding". If you submit a satiric item without this symbol, no matter how obvious the satire is to you, do not be surprised if people take it seriously.

Source

[–] Veraxus@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

This. I remember having a text file of emoticons back in the day because I couldn't remember what they were supposed to mean (and often didn't mean what I thought). :-/

[–] Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.com -1 points 1 year ago

That’s a valid point! I forgot now many emoticons I’d use back then. I’ve always hated pointing out my sarcasm using extra things, though… I prefer to do it using italics, which is reeeeal helpful on Reddit where it goes over nobody’s heads at all.

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee -4 points 1 year ago (3 children)

As someone with autism, I’m here to say that it is actually the opposite of helpful.

People need challenges in order to grow. They need opportunities to fail.

Putting training wheels on sarcasm makes autistic people even further behind the social curve by depriving us of opportunities to fail.

Much like a sterile childhood environment has been scientifically proven to be a causal factor in developing allergies as an adult, I predict that science will eventually establish a causal link between lack of ambiguous communication during developmental years, and reduced intelligence in life.

Human society is so fucking hard to understand for an autistic person, and I really appreciate your looking out for me, but the struggle is worth it, and human culture is intricate and beautiful, and that’s why I chose this username.

Okay but lots of other autistic people I know really appreciate tone indicators so you cannot really speak for everyone. Not to mention, why does knowing that something was meant to be sarcastic hinder learning instead of essentially guessing?

[–] kitedemon@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You misunderstand, this is from my own perspective as an autistic person. Plus, the lack of tone of voice over text can make communication harder, for everyone. It’s literally just a tool for communication, clearing up what you mean.

But that's the point of sarcasm. Jonathan Swift got lots of death threats by mail after writing "A Modest Proposal," and he expected it! If someone doesn't want to risk being misunderstood, they should not write the opposite of what they mean.

[–] themajesticdodo@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

How ever did autistic people survive before the internet to help them cope?

[–] starman2112@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean a lot of neurodivergent people literally didn't survive until a few decades ago

[–] themajesticdodo@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Well that's a massively gross exaggeration.

[–] Seraph@kbin.social 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

To me it's born out of this moment: "Wait, will someone see this joke and think I'm serious? If they did they'd think I'm a psycho..."

[–] Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Am i wooshing myself??

That is literally the point of sarcasm. People legitimately wanted to murder Jonathan Swift.

If you write "/s", just write the direct unironic statement in the first place.

[–] Lanthanae@lemmy.blahaj.zone 0 points 1 year ago (1 children)

If that were holistically true the concept of a "sarcastic tone" wouldn't exist in verbal speech.

Yes, the /s and sarcastic tone both exist and are used by people.

[–] Tenniswaffles@lemmy.world 6 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Well, we certainly didn't leave that signature sense of superiority behind.

[–] Scubus@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

But I am superior

[–] Lucidlethargy@sh.itjust.works 1 points 1 year ago

Honestly, that's so much worse here... The atheist posts are making me cringe pretty hard. I'm am atheist, so that's saying something.

It's like we got the best, and the worst, from Reddit.

[–] sharkfucker420@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

People who need tone indicators aren't stupid

[–] intensely_human@lemm.ee -5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Correct. They’re merely cognitively insufficient to successfully model the minds of the people they talk to.

[–] SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Neurodivergent people exist, and they deserve respect too.

[–] terny@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Not only neurodivergent people need the "/s". Not all subtle speech cues are easily transmitted through text.

[–] Lev_Astov@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago

You shouldn't need speech cues to simply not take anything seriously.

Not at all -- it's the people who use /s that are dumb.

[–] moosetwin@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)
[–] Squirrel@thelemmy.club 1 points 1 year ago

In a world where the most outlandish opinions are often genuine, it definitely helps to have a sarcasm indicator.

[–] metallic_substance@lemmy.world 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I've run into some pretty fucking stupid people here

[–] mrmhm@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

I thought /s meant stupid?

/s

[–] JustAbe@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I’d much rather have /s than comments that start with, or just say:

This.

Absolutely annihilates my patience towards humanity.

[–] MrSilkworm@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

☝️this /s

[–] Norbas@lemmy.world 1 points 9 months ago
[–] Simon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 9 months ago

Nope, but everybody over here thinks of themselves as smart. Sometimes that's worse.

[–] Mammothmothman@lemmy.ca 1 points 8 months ago

Do you read the comment sections on lemmy at all?

There is just as much stupid here as anywhere else on the internet.

[–] SexyTimeSasquatch@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

This is some solid grade A pandering. You're aware there's no karma to farm, right?

[–] starman2112@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

"This website that I and others like me decided to migrate to is much better than the place I left. That must mean everyone who decided to come here is super smart!"

Don't get so full of yourself that you burst.