this post was submitted on 05 Aug 2023
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[–] [email protected] 34 points 1 year ago (5 children)

Nah, I still use it. You have to. The tone of voice is non existent. Sarcasm is indistinguishable from stupidity. It's impossible to tell and be right all the time without /s. It's just responsible posting to include it.

Without it, if your sarcastic enough often enough, you'll run into people who unironically agree with you on whatever you've sarcastically said. /s reminds those people who agree with whatever you've said that they are stupid.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago

This. I'd say the main difference if OP is noticing it less is there are less scenarios being created for it to be applied naturally in conversations.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (4 children)

How do you suppose every piece of literature to ever employ sarcasm got on without /s?

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They don't have to, since it's a one-way medium instead of a conversation. Even if they did get misinterpreted, how are they gonna find out? Some disgruntled reader mailing them a letter?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Some disgruntled reader mailing them a letter?

Yes! Jonathan Swift received a ton of death threats after writing "A Modest Proposal."

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

They're usually longer than a comment on a thread. They're usually presented with the understanding that they're satirical or sarcastic.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago

Readers know the author.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

They use more words, carefully constructed phrasing, and a better vocabulary.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Gee whillikers, it's almost like the medium isn't the problem> 4

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 year ago

It you read and write only tweet-sized texts, it can be.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

Poe's law applies.

[–] [email protected] -2 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

You don't have to do shit. If I'm gonna write a sarcastic comment, the joy is in knowing that some people will just think I'm a fucking moron. People who get it will relate. Others won't. The world will spin. I'm not writing sarcasm in a public broadcast built for mass audiences. It's a specific communication for a specific audience. If someone doesn't get it, tough shit for them...

The real useful one is /gen when ppl need to know you're NOT joking.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

Agreed. I don't give a shit if people know I'm being sarcastic or not. If they can't figure it out, then the comment wasn't intended for them.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Without it, if your sarcastic enough often enough, you’ll run into people who unironically agree with you on whatever you’ve sarcastically said.

That's literally the point of sarcasm. If you don't want people to get confused, don't write the opposite of what you mean.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I disagree. I'm not trying to trick people. I use it to illustrate the stupidity of opposing positions. It's rhetorical. It's not designed to get people who think I'm serious cheering me on, at least, not forever.

Similar to parody, it's only funny if people are brought in on the joke. If Sasha Baron Cohen wasn't a well known comedian making a comedy movie, Borat wouldn't be funny and would fall flat on making any sort of point. It would just be like a documentary made by a pitiful idiot.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 1 year ago

If you're not trying to trick people, just say what you mean. Just stating something and writing "/s" doesn't do anything to show it's wrong.

And Borat was met with tons of opposition and hate from people who thought he was serious!