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Comment by alwa

4 days ago

…is this an elaborate joke about solar power? And by extension, virtually all the energy that’s accumulated on the earth over the eons? It took me a minute :)

9 comments

alwa

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alkonaut  4 days ago

I thought it was obvious but apparently not. Sarcasm is only funny when not tagged with the /s.

  • alwa  4 days ago

    I certainly got a laugh! And I agree about the /s. Chalk it up to this reader’s slow mind on a slow day!

    In a forum where people credulously propose orbital platforms to “sell sunlight at night” [0], I find myself erring on the side of assuming seriousness…

    [0] e.g. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42995403

  • spiderfarmer  4 days ago

    A majority of the people on HN think there is an explicit no-humor policy. Judging by the fact that a lot of people here are genuinely confused when they come across something really funny, I can see why they try to pretend humor can’t insightful, useful or informative. It saves them from embarrassment.

    • lanstin  4 days ago

      I mostly read HN news for the laughs, although the odd technical insights posted by those that know is fun too.

      I don't know why I post, somethings just to dissipate negative emotions, sometimes to share a favorite anecdote. Sometimes to joke, maybe,? Although those are more likely to be closed without posting.

    • mrguyorama  4 days ago

      The problem is that there are numerous people on HN that spew these insane takes fully sincerely

      A Modest Proposal is a lot less funny when you have people who really do believe we should eat babies to solve the Irish problem.

      1 reply →

  • deepspace  4 days ago

    I find that many younger people have a hard time 'getting' sarcasm and irony when it is not explicitly pointed out. I wonder if it may be due to the prevalence of '/s' in online discussions, or if something else changed.