HN Comment Tone Debate

Discussions center on the use of informal, colloquial, or sarcastic language in Hacker News comments versus a more formal or serious tone, with emphasis on challenges in conveying intent, sarcasm, and nuance through text.

📉 Falling 0.5x Politics & Society
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Years Active
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Top Authors
#3491
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Keywords

OK YMMW HN tone communicate communication talk text language emojis preferred generational informal

Sample Comments

pshc Sep 25, 2024 View on HN

I think it's just code switching. Serious announcements warrant a more serious tone.

woah Jan 12, 2015 View on HN

Why conversational tone on hn Hn users programmers Understand efficient style Sarcasm in post

alid Sep 16, 2012 View on HN

That's a shame, I totes said smarter things after that! ;) I'm new here, so will try & speak less colloquially if that's the preferred tone.

paulchap Jun 26, 2020 View on HN

No problem. The subtleties of human speech don't carry over to text very well ;-)

maxbond Dec 7, 2023 View on HN

Am I so out of touch? No, it's the children who are wrong!But in all seriousness, call it what you want, I happen to enjoy this minutia but understand many people see it as an impediment to clear communication. If you're working in the unusual contexts where the difference matters you probably know.

0xdeadbeefbabe Dec 10, 2019 View on HN

Your human sounding colloquialisms don't fool us btw.

pbiggar Jun 22, 2012 View on HN

Probably also "Don't say things you wouldn't say in a face to face conversation." (at least, I hope so)

godelski Jul 4, 2017 View on HN

I'm not sure why you're being downvoted.I'm in a similar boat. That's just how a lot of people I know communicate. Sure they have other ways to communicate, but they don't want to.

cubicle67 Sep 13, 2010 View on HN

hyperboling might be a better verb :) Looks like cross-cultural communication via a text only medium has meant you've completely missed both the tone and the content I was trying to present. Sorry about that

grandalf Oct 26, 2015 View on HN

In the manner of discourse such as you have exemplified with your comments under your current pseudonym, it is difficult to ascertain your intended trop, voice, or topic. Thus, I hereby request that you rephrase in a more course or colloquial or blunt manner.