robert m. tynes wrote:
In order to refine/re-morph our *flaming* definition a bit more(focusing in on motivations), I'd like to offer this query:
When is the following (see below) a flame, a typo, gibberish, or a joke?
a.)o(i.r.
it depends a bit, but i would say this is a joke, changing the 'o' to an asterix and keeping the inverted parentheses would have been a flame to me or could have generated a flame from me, because that has certain meanings in certain arenas that I am familiar. Of course the above might have other meanings in different contexts that I am not familiar with and could generate a flame from others. I think that sometimes we might be thinking of flaming in a negative context though, it can be, but really for some it is a highly polished artform which has a variety of social purposes. It takes a certain skill with words to generate an applicable insult, and that should be appreciated for what it is sometimes, but also it can be appreciated as a way of normalizing a channel or newsgroup, etc.
-Robert Tynes
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