How do things work around here.
 

Are we sarcastic or sincere? Cuz it's hard for me to tell sometimes, which is why I react the way I do.

Yes.

As IRL, it is an important skill to be able to derive socially acceptable behavior from the current context.

In fairness, it may be slightly more difficult to get a handle on people in text communication than in face to face conversation.

That said ... Pete's right. It's contextual.

I agree. It can be very difficult to convey things in text that come across quite easily in tone of voice.

Smileys, tags, and such help. But it's still not as easy as in person.

Still most people manage to do ok.

Thank you both for saying that. I'm not nearly as..umm...well...rude in real life as I apparently am on here. If I was, I'd be French :D

lol

Victor French?

http://content7.flixster.com/photo/5...559101_tml.jpg

...washed his face in a fryin' pan...

I think the trick is differentiating between the type of sarcasm you use with your friends, and the type of sarcasm you use with your enemies, and the fact that it's rarely a good idea to use sarcasm with strangers. Also, it's important to remember that not everyone here is friends with everyone else, so you may see two Dwellars being genuinely rude to each other, and if you don't know about whatever long-running baggage the two of them have going, you may assume that this is how people here treat their friends.

Really, it boils down to becoming familiar with each person here individually. Then you will know, when a person says something to you, how they meant it. If you don't know them, react to whatever they say the same way you would to a stranger on the street.

The problem with this is that while the new person is a stranger and we're all strangers to them, we're not strangers to each other, so it's more akin to a new person showing up at a party where everyone else is already familiar which I think has a certain different set of rules.

For example, if you're the new person and someone seems to be being rude to you (even if they were actually joking), and you react the way you would with a stranger on the street (that is to tell them to take a flying leap or the equivalent), you might find yourself at the bottom of a dog pile around here, mainly because it's natural for people who know each other to take the side of their familiars...even if they might not 100% agree.

For what it's worth, I've had a lot of trouble over the years figuring out who's joking and who's being an arsehole mainly because I don't really use sarcasm in my day to day life, and particularly not with my friends. I just don't get it.

I've quite deliberately toned down some of my more ascerbic humour, because, i discovered long ago that on teh interwebz it just gets you into long involved arguments/conversations about what your throwaway line meant :P

dunno. I seem to get it wrong quite a lot.

I agree with Dana, too. Sometimes you're just typing shit out casually, and remarks come out that you really don't think about, but it's out there in black and white; and you really didn't mean it the way people take it, and all of a sudden you are in the doodoo.

Ali, Dana, Cloud... :thumb:

So many just don't get it, don't understand, take it the wrong way, and would think completely different if they just sat down and had a beer or two with you for night of respectful exchange....

Whatever. The Cellar has taught me to give up on that notion long ago.

Don't take that as absolution. Most people at least try to make their intent apparent.

If you really want to know how to make it around here, I will tell you the secret: You can be a smartass. But don't be an asshat.

And, of course, it is always acceptable to be a nice guy. :D

Like Ali says, it's like joining a party where everyone else already knows each other. It sucks, but then there is the option to get to know them and become part of the crowd, unlike if you attend a party at a conference where everyone is a stranger.

But in such a situation, if you wanted to make friends, you wouldn't barge right in, criticising the way they arrange their furniture, deciding to keep your shoes on because that's what you do at home, and demanding that everyone wash off their perfume because you don't like it and explains their jokes to you because you don't get it. Well not if you wanted to make friends and be invited back, anyway.

There are few rules here, but this is essentially one of them. Almost everyone was a newb at some point, and there are a great variety of old hands here, so clearly it is possible even if you are an absolute dickhole like ... %^#*$^, &$%# &$^@$*, and ^$*%^^#*&#. or totally awesome like me. :D

I live there! thanks for the warning about 3 years late Dani!

Which one am I? :p:

The censor rejected your monster handle. sorry.

Wow that Bad? Guess I better brush my teeth well - The tooth fairy is surely not coming my way anytime soon.

prolly not, but maybe other fairies will find you profitable...

Sheldon, paging Sheldon. . .

Don't worry, he already has your number.

Now, I know yer not disrespecting the late, great co-star of Highway To Heaven.

What about an asshole, or a stupidass? :D

stupidass? that's like dumb and dumber squared, right?

I just spend most of my time shaking my head, wondering if I'll ever be as witty as most of the dwellars. I mean, I *get* it, but . . . it's kind of like when you think of the perfect thing to say about five minutes after the opportunity passes, y'know?

this thread is like Ritchie asking Fonzie how to be 'cool'

Just post something, and 5 minutes later, edit it with your witty shit. :haha:

:lol:

I love sarcasm.

Ha! I was actually counting the letters and trying to figure out if one of those was code for my name . . .

Cool song.

lol - you have heard that before . . . right?

I don't think it was directed at Drax.

I know that silly, it was directed at Mick Jagger

No no no...Warren Beatty!

In the new version she did which was just released, she whispers the name David.

No no no...neffeG divaD!

Really? Didn't someone win an auction where she would reveal to them who the song was about, but they were sworn to secrecy.

I didn't know there was a new version. Is she really giving it away or is this an April Fools joke? :unsure:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You're_So_Vain

Check out the section on David Geffen

I've had a sticky one. I've had a messy one... I'm not sure I've had a witty one though...

Drax - like 'ster says; treat it like a party.
Don't go into a party and whine and moan and make comments that make think you're a paedo.
Don't then go to another party and bitch about the first, like no-one is ever going to find out.
And don't call the members of any party a bunch of niggers just because they don't get your "humour".

Yes,Geffen. I fell in love with Her when I was 10/in/ 76. Had a little flutter in my chest watching the video.

Not definitely Geffen. It's still a mystery.

eh hem

eh hem
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You%27r...n#David_Geffen

My point, the one you apparently missed, was that I already posted the link within Geffen's name spelled backwards. (as was described in the quoted section)

That is all.

Hahaha. I DID notice your backward post. ;)

ohhh - then nevermind - as you were, is, are gonna be... whatever.

Yup, Somwhere in the back of my gray matter. Warren, the bastard.

My I.Q. Just went down 30 pts.

Only 30? thats pretty good - considering.

Well....When you start with around 140. I can live with 128 on a very bad day.

fix'd

Your so vain you probably thing this post is about you

your weather vane

tk: yup, that was the idea, thanks for (poorly) spelling it out :rolleyes: :lol: