Geek_DR said:
We share the internet with just about everyone, which includes every jackass and snob with a connection. The way I see it, there are a few ways in which someone can arbitrarily assign their self superiority over others; on the internet, it's most commonly nerd elitism, and nerd elitism is the least qualified, least evidenced of all forms of elitism. "I am a snob: I'm better than you because I joined a 'community' of like-minded misanthropes with whom I 'talk' every day, and I create threads claiming that deathmatching over the internet counts as a social activity." It's not snobbery borne of artistic endeavor, workplace advancement or athletic achievement. This is where un-ironic My Little Pony gushing comes from. It's how memes that are interesting or funny for a few minutes almost immediately become as culturally relevant as "Make 7 Up Yours!" through constant regurgitation. It's how people say TTFN, TTYL, OMFG, SMH, LOL and ORLY and expect everyone who's "not a dumbass" to understand them.
And this is where "TL;DR" comes from. If something is too long for you to consider reading, a functional adult wouldn't stop by the thread to respond at all; he/she would simply move on. It's a thoroughly meaningless gesture, apart from the false sense of superiority it gives the person who posts it. The only way a post could be
TL and so justify the fact that you didn't
DL, even though you took the time to enter the forum and then respond, would be if it was rambly. But no one should be surprised at this point, as a great many Escapists will post before even finishing the OP. I created a thread telling a bunch of new Escapists to stop posting
Shut up! I hate your opinion! threads because they had no efficacy, and most of the responses were "isn't that what this is?" accompanied by the cutest misspellings I had ever encountered.
The point is, most every adult and adolescent reads. We shouldn't be afraid of it. It's characteristically un-nerd, so I don't know why someone would take the time to let you know they think they're a better nerd than you because they don't like using their mind. I'm a retro gamer, an indie music fan, a film geek and a sci-fi, I dunnoh, wank. You can't out-nerd me by telling me you find my intelligence offensive.
The statements above are not meant to be applied to Escapists in general - just to the snobs out there.
