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Emphasis and tone through text.

415 Views | 7 Replies

Can it be done without whatever was written looking stupid?

For example, if you were to tell an ambiguous sounding sarcastic comment, I'm sure it'd look stupid if you used the emphasis, strong and underline parameters in excess or any punctuation marks other than the period, such as the exclamation point. Using smileys probably won't help, either. In this hypothetical situation; people really won't get it's a sarcastic comment if it doesn't have tone. What would you do?

Most over-the-BBS jokes fail because of this; because they lack the depth, the tone, the emphasis and the pitch that normal speech would have. But, a joke failing on the reader also has something to do with how the reader read it, right? Whenever one reads a forum post they'd imagine it as if they said it, and of course this'd ruin the joke if they imagined it in a way that the writer didn't intend-- well, that, and the reader's sense of humor being different from the writer's.

This is really quite a tough one.

How can you put in emphasis, depth and tone through text?

My guess is that it's impossible, really. But I want to see if someone else can do it.
Anyone?

The real question though, is why would I go through such lengths over such a trivial thing?

Response to Emphasis and tone through text. 2014-10-31 13:41:38


At 10/31/14 01:28 PM, NGPulp wrote: Using smileys probably won't help, either.

I highly agree. Smileys hardly ever properly convey the tone of a comment.


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Response to Emphasis and tone through text. 2014-10-31 14:06:45


I can assuredly promise you the key is not emphasizing choice words when conveying sarcasm.


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Response to Emphasis and tone through text. 2014-10-31 14:32:58


At 10/31/14 02:16 PM, Chronus-Prime wrote: you COULD try "quoting things" - but that just makes everything "sound sexual"

Hey, wanna go grab a "burger" later? Then we can go to my place and "fuck".

Oh my god he's right

"Till one day, that lion gets up and tears the shit out of everybody."

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Response to Emphasis and tone through text. 2014-10-31 14:43:53


I think I do fairly well to convey tone through text, but I can't really back the belief up.

Response to Emphasis and tone through text. 2014-10-31 15:20:30


I tend to emphasize with all-caps on specific important words. For instance: Oh sure, I'd love that. vs. Oh SURE, I'd love that. or Oh sure, I'd LOVE that. The first and third are the same meaning to a different degree in the positive, but the second one is clearly sarcastic. But that's only here on the BBS.

If I'm actually writing a story or dialog, it's much easier to establish the basal tone of the voice that you're using and then break it to the effect of sarcasm or jocularity, etc.


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Response to Emphasis and tone through text. 2014-10-31 21:31:07


OP has a point, this does look stupid, and that's why it's a common way to type.


Ecchi first, ask questions never.

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Response to Emphasis and tone through text. 2014-10-31 22:39:23


At 10/31/14 10:21 PM, NippleManOfMilk wrote: I just assume everything is serious and act acordingly.
Gotten into a few fights that way...

Huh.

Is that so?