Talk:Internet humor

From Pee Review

I think this page is funny, but not feature-worthy, and I'd like it to be. Here are some specific issues:

• It's still too similar to the Wikipedia article in some areas.
• Most of the Usenet section might only be funny to a few dozen geeks. Does anyone get "You're not allowed" or ZOT?
• The kibosig snapshot in the Usenet section needs to be redone in such a way that if you really want to read it, you can.
• In the Email section, are the spam jokes relevant?
• In the Email section, everyone seems to miss the mad cow disease reference.
• In the Web section, everyone who gets the blink tag joke says it should be BLINK in all caps. They're right as far as HTML 2 standards, but it looks more annoying and less funny that way to me.
• The Web section needs either more text or fewer pictures, so Sprite comics don't end up in the Flash section.
• The Flash section needs a picture. An animated GIF, probably. Maybe if I took the "Taint of Love" video off Newgrounds and snapshotted a few frames?
• Andrew Sullivan is funny, but I can't figure out how to make that obvious.

Of course I'm also open to constructivevicious criticism on the rest of the article. --Falcotron 21:05, 29 August 2006 (UTC)

I laughed several times. Point by point:

• • The similarity doesn't really matter to me, if it's funny.
  • I didn't "get" the Usenet jokes, but I laughed anyway. Immersion in geeky things must be like studying Latin; it makes it easier to learn other geeky things.
  • Yes. That shouldn't be too hard, even with the GIMP.
  • I missed the Spam joke at first, and to be honest, I don't think it's clear. I would throw in an early example of Compuserve or Usenet spam, something along the lines of "MIT hores want a deep driling."
  • I got the two cows joke.
  • Don't understand HTML all that well, but I don't think it's an issue.
  • The web section needs more specific examples of e-mail humor, like the Hong Kong subtitles e-mail, some badly photoshopped pictures, etc. I lean toward more text.
  • If "Taint of Love" isn't what I think it is, then OK.
  • I like Sullivan; he's one of the few bloggers who seems to put his principles over party. But I get the joke here. You might reprint his endorsement of John Kerry or something.

Anyway, it's close. Very close.--Procopius 01:59, 30 August 2006 (UTC)

Great; now I know which parts to work on. A few responses:

• The Usenet jokes require you to be not only geeky, but also old enough to remember geeky humor from 1989. You seem to be neither--so if they still work for you, I guess they stay.
• The joke about the SMTP mail system being repaired requires you to be even more geeky before it even registers as a spam joke. And then it's still not that funny, and not at all relevant. I think I'll scrap it.
• The less-geeky but more-subtle spam jokes throughout the article already reference MAKE MONEY FAST (the original Usenet spam) and creative misspellings of Viagra (the most common current spam). But if people don't get them, I'll try to make them more obvious.
• I assume you're also too young to remember the blink tag in HTML? Lucky bastard. I still see blinking web pages in my nightmares.
• You're definitely right about the web section needing more text. I was torn between expanding the existing examples (e.g., explaining sprite comics) and adding more examples. It sounds like you vote for the latter.
• "Taint of Love" probably is what you think it is. It's a parody of the song "Tainted Love," all about anal sex, by the band FDA (short for Fuck Dat Ass, of course). The accompanying Flash video shows first Soft Cell and then various other rockstars having anal sex. It was one of the most popular videos on Newgrounds in the early days.
• Sullivan doesn't annoy me; I'm just surprised his head hasn't asploded yet.

Anyway, thanks a million. --Falcotron 03:53, 30 August 2006 (UTC)