English Language & Usage: Multi-Layered Discourse Room

In a song video made by an American acquaintance, there is a joke that I don't understand. I am not a native speaker, and I guess most English speakers would understand what makes his joke funny. Is it on-topic to ask what is the meaning of his play on words? As asked by Jeff Parker, here is...

simchona

@Jasper But I stopped it too...

user19161

@simchona Good. I have learnt not to overreact.

Robusto

@Cerberus — But 3I's responses are like waving a red flag in front of a bull. (And, yes, I know bulls are color-blind.)

JSBangs

6:17 PM

@Rhodri i found it just after you

Cerberus

@Robusto I don't even care about his ehh... quality any more! Hah!

user19161

Why are there suddenly so many people?

Cerberus

All the interns are being called in here.

user19161

The invasion of the forks?

Laura Ψ

@Cerberus not interns, we're all full-timers

Lauren Ψ

6:18 PM

@Rhodri - there's clearly something going on that you're unhappy with, please let me know if there's anything you'd like me to do to help resolve the problem

Rhodri

Chat came back. Plus, it's pitchfork time! ::breaks out pitchers of Pimms::

simchona

@Robusto Bulls are...color blind?

Lauren Ψ

i'm not sure what exactly is happening though

Cerberus

To be fair, everyone at SE but a certain person has always been nice.

simchona

I'd like to say I'm glad the pitchforks are, well, caring about this.

Cerberus

6:19 PM

@LauraΨ Oh, sorry, somebody said you were interns, I didn't know. I stand corrected!

JSBangs

@simchona yes, but i don't think that the pitchforks are in much a position to do anything about it

Cerberus

@LaurenΨ Jeff called this site shameful, personally insulted Kosmonaut. Kos is now gone.

Rhodri

@LaurenΨ The problem is somewhat lengthy, but to boil it down to basics, I regard Jeff A's behaviour in the question I linked to as bullying.

user19161

@Rhodri I thought it was lunchtime.

Laura Ψ

No worries. We're here to help make the SE communities as good as they can be. That's part of why we hang out in chats - so if there's an issue that needs to be resolved, we can either act on it or bring it to the attention of someone who can

simchona

6:20 PM

@JSB they're closer to Jeff than we are. And it helps to know that they're not all like, "Oh those rascal EL&U users! We shouldn't bother listening to them at all!"

JSBangs

@CHAOS-Team: basically, read the meta question that Rhodri linked above, especially the long and acrimonious comment threads. that thread set off about two weeks of mutual recrimination between Jeff and the ELU community leaders, the bad blood from which hasn't yet dissipated

Cerberus

@simchona As I said, everyone but Jeff has always been nice.

Robusto

@simchona — That's the rumor.

RegDwight

Grace Note has been hacked. The end is near.

simchona

@Reg Eh?

Cerberus

6:21 PM

@JSBangs But apparently Jeff edited out his most acrimonious insults. I still don't know what he said to Kosmonaut.

user19161

@RegDwight Huh?

RegDwight

@simchona Ze Grawatar ist falsch.

simchona

@Cerberus Did you try Google Cache?

RegDwight

11 secs ago, by RegDwight

@simchona Ze Grawatar ist falsch.

Grace Note

@RegDwight I've been what?

Cerberus

6:22 PM

@simchona Hmm no... and I sort of don't want to know. I don't want to be angry.

simchona

IT'S A TRAP

user19161

@GraceNote Hacked.

RegDwight

@GraceNote I'm not talking at impostors.

Robusto

@RegDwight — Grace Note has a stricter persona, known as Appoggiatura.

Lauren Ψ

@Rhodri thanks for clarifying

RegDwight

6:22 PM

@Robusto OLD

Grace Note

I have fears as to how I have been outted as an imposter.

Robusto

@RegDwight — RUDE

RegDwight

@Robusto AND PROUD

user19161

All childish!

RegDwight

Now would you please let me catch up with the transcript rather than insulting that American Dad.

Rhodri

6:23 PM

@Cerberus I can't remember the detail, but Kos's comment explaining why that joke was linguistically interesting was dismissed as "a flight of fancy." Bear in mind Kos is a professional linguist.

Robusto

@RegDwight — AND FINALLY CONVERTED TO CAPITALIZATIONISM. SEE, I KNEW IT HAD TO HAPPEN.

Cerberus

@Rhodri I know he is! And a kind, patient guy.

@Rhodri But thanks.

JSBangs

@Rhodri Jeff also said that he was "disappointed" to see a mod defending the content, and implied that Kos wasn't doing his job. actually he did more than imply

RegDwight

@Robusto THAT'S BECOS OF RAPTCHAH I JUST HAD TO ALSO HOW TYPE UPPERCASE UPOSTROPE LOL

JSBangs

(maybe i should stop talking about this)

anyway: i found that i felt much better after taking a week off and just seeing to my real life for a while

Rhodri

6:25 PM

@JSBangs (yeah, maybe we should. The apology will never come.)

Cerberus

@JSBangs That guy is mad. I still feel enraged.

user19161

I think the site is for the users. So if you hate Jeff, just tell yourself it's not about him.

2

RegDwight

@JSBangs I must add that that was directly following the three days in which I was in Paris and Nohat was moving to a different state, so Kos had to run the site alone, and did.

aedia

@JSBangs It made it sound like it was worthless nonsense because Kos didn't have time to personally answer the question.

Robusto

@Rhodri — But Jeff scored in the 99th percentile on the GMAT. If you can do that, you can pretty much write your own rules in any walk of life.

user19161

6:26 PM

Let's focus on the site and not so much on Jeff, just my 2 cents.

aedia

Like he should have been modding and answering everything himself or something.

Cerberus

@Robusto Haha... that line of his was the best ever.

RegDwight

@JasperLoy And I agree, except that I have been focusing on the site for a whole freaking year, but it turns out that isn't enough for some.

Grace Note

This erupted again?

Robusto

@RegDwight — The day we lose you, that's the day I know this site is officially over.

11

user19161

6:29 PM

I understand that people need to vent, but I didn't expect it would last this long. Maybe because I'm not directly involved in this one.

Cerberus

@JasperLoy It was so bad, that's why. It will be a long time before this is over.

RegDwight

Jul 9 at 11:58, by trg787

Can't invent a question abt English....... But I like the atmosphere of this chat room.

user19161

@Robusto We still have you Hollandaise!

RegDwight

Jul 9 at 11:58, by RegDwight

That's because we vent regularly!

Cerberus

@Robusto Yes, then, I will most definitely never post anything any more.

user19161

6:30 PM

Oh, Joel is here too!

RegDwight

Where's my comb...

Rhodri

@GraceNote It's been noticed I've been deleting, so naturally enough people asked. Not really an eruption, just a rumble.

JSBangs

wow, it's like we managed to summon the entirety of SE with our venting

Grace Note

Mmhmm

simchona

The pitchforks came in in bulk

user19161

6:31 PM

I think it's just lunchtime.

Cerberus

@Rhodri Perhaps changing your questions into subtly wrong stuff would have been better, depending on your goal.

FallenAngelEyes

I'm so sorry to see that there's been no satisfactory resolution to this

simchona

@Fallen I hope you were able to sleep last night

Robusto

Hmm ... what is a collective noun for mods? A fussbudget of moderators?

Grace Note

@Cerberus We have abuse warnings on revisions to old content as well, just in case that matters.

JSBangs

6:32 PM

@Cerberus no, please don't do that. your right is not to participate, but please don't actually vandalize

user19161

I would say some more venting, and in a month things will be fine. Just a prediction.

Cerberus

@GraceNote But you could not judge the edits.

Rhodri

@Cerberus But that would be evil. On the other hand, the dark side has cookies... no.

FallenAngelEyes

I remember reading the Meta posts on this. Jeff deleted his answer on the "Is EL&U succeeding?" question, if I recall.

RegDwight

@Cerberus Nah, let's not go overboard like that. Vandalism can't be anybody's goal, and most certainly it will never be Rhodri's.

FallenAngelEyes

6:32 PM

@simchona Eventually, yes, thanks. :)

Grace Note

@Cerberus Yes, but we wouldn't be the ones that would notice this. It'd be Dwig who would be told of the revisions happening.

Cerberus

@JSBangs @Reg @Rhodri I didn't say I was going to do that. I have even mentioned in this chat room that I didn't find deleting ethical. But if I wanted to, then that's what I'd do.

Rhodri

@FallenAngelEyes That was indeed an improvment.

RegDwight

@FallenAngelEyes That was someone else, if I recall.

user19161

Well since everyone is here, let's say something constructive and try to effect whatever change deemed fit.

FallenAngelEyes

6:33 PM

@RegDwight Oh, someone else deleted it? I just remember that it was there one day, then the next day or so I checked, it was gone.

Rhodri

Two words: public apology.

3

Cerberus

@Rhodri World peace.

RegDwight

@Cerberus Nah, I'm not talking about you or anyone in particular for that matter. I'm just pointing out that all this stuff is being published under a license. It's no longer yours the moment you click Submit.

Rhodri

Hollandaise sauce?

Robusto

"Intellectuals solve problems; geniuses prevent them." — Albert Einstein

Cerberus

6:35 PM

@RegDwight Do you really think it couldn't be done? Come on. A few subtle, "motivated" changes, and I could easily make my answers rubbish. Again, I am not going to. But it could be done.

user19161

@Robusto And mystics like me transcend them. :)

Cerberus

Whatever the case, Stackexchange has given us the opportunity to have the fun that we had. I am thankful for that, and I wouldn't harm them.

aedia

@Rhodri Rainbow flamethrower?

3

FallenAngelEyes

@aedia Wow, talk about "flaming."

Rhodri

@Cerberus It could be done pretty easily, and you have to wonder about some of the more... vigorous wrong answerers. It shouldn't be done, though.

user19161

6:37 PM

@Cerberus Exactly. Without Jeff and Joel, we wouldn't have this lovely site and this lovely chat!

Robusto

@JasperLoy — And slackers like me learn to live with them.

Cerberus

@Rhodri Agreed 100 %. There are some users who may have been doing this since the beginning, such as 3I...

FallenAngelEyes

Dinnertime for me, later all. gives out cookies of goodwill!

2

Cerberus

Thanks!

Kit

@Rhodri Hola, friend! How many do you have left?

Rhodri

6:38 PM

@Cerberus I wouldn't even accuse 3I.

Cerberus

@Rhodri Nah I was kidding.

Rhodri

@Kit Oh, loads yet. The problems are the accepted answers

RegDwight

I have no idea what 3I's intentions are at this point.

Rhodri

@FallenAngelEyes nom nom nom

simchona

@Reg To plagiarize other answers to supplement his own?

RegDwight

6:39 PM

That's not an intention.

Robusto

Wow, this chat room is 45% moderators now. I think that has to be a record outside of The Teachers' Lounge.

simchona

To take over the world by plagiarizing other answers to supplement his own?

Robusto

I feel like a creature in a zoo. Or a lab.

Grace Note

The Bridge gets a decent number every now and then

Cerberus

What is good about the current situation is that I do not care about 3I's things any more. Let him do what he likes.

Rhodri

6:39 PM

@simchona To become a world authority on being a world authority?

aedia

@Robusto I think we're a teaching moment for community development.

user19161

@Robusto You are only a cigar, or a dream.

Cerberus

@Robusto I love this thrashing against the cage.

simchona

@Rhodri In the department of Redunancy department

Cerberus

@Rhodri By the way, if you really wanted this, you wouldn't be announcing it here.

user19161

6:41 PM

I think the 'public apology' that has been starred is not going to happen - let's be more magnanimous. There's too much fighting in this world already.

Robusto

@JasperLoy — I am Schrödinger's cigar. There is only a probability that I actually exist.

Kit

@Robusto Makes me think of Clinton's cigar...

I am a leaf on the wind.

Rhodri

@Cerberus In which sense? (Not that I don't believe you, I'm just curious about your analysis.)

RegDwight

@Robusto I am tempted to gimp a picture showing your gravatar and saying "Ceci n'est pas une cigare", but I am lazy.

Apr 24 at 12:59, by RegDwight

I'm a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar.

Kit

@RegDwight Exactly. Dork.

RegDwight

6:45 PM

@Kit I'm not so sure.

57

A: Which term correctly identifies those who enjoy programming/technology: geek or nerd?

VonC's answer is more to the point, but I just can't resist the urge to post this Venn diagram, so I'm marking this CW: Image credit.

user19161

@kit Someone's here. Shhhh!

Cerberus

@Rhodri If you did what you are doing quietly, and subtly, it would go unnoticed. If you announce it in public, it gets noticed.

Kit

@RegDwight Firefly counts as neither programming nor technology, therefore this Venn diagram does not apply.

@JasperLoy (What? Who?)

RegDwight

@Kit Now, now. That title is @Lauren's/

Michael Myers

@Cerberus No, it wouldn't go unnoticed.

user19161

6:47 PM

@Kit You know, the two crazy messages you pinged yesterday.

Cerberus

@MichaelMyers Subtly enough.

Kit

@RegDwight What? That is not even an argument.

RegDwight

It is.

Grace Note

@Cerberus I've been mentioning that it is being monitored

Kit

@JasperLoy So you want me to not say anything. Or not say anything wink?

@RegDwight Isn't.

RegDwight

6:48 PM

It is.

Mar 7 at 18:26, by RegDwight

►

Kit

@RegDwight Precisely.

Cerberus

@GraceNote You see an edit, and I change "attributive" into "adverbial". With some kind of motivation in the summary. Who would notice?

Robusto

@RegDwight — My kids used to call me Dada. Does that help?

Rhodri

@Cerberus Reasonably in tune with my thinking. Things getting public today were a result of me wondering if there were different buttons I could push to get things I couldn't delete personally deleted.

Kit

@Robusto thwack

user19161

6:49 PM

@reg Do you know why a +4 question would get into the network profile top questions?

Kit

@Cerberus I would notice.

Grace Note

@Cerberus We see the frequency of edits, which alerts the people who are in charge of the site, namely Dwig and nohat and waiwai.

Cerberus

@Kit Hehe.

RegDwight

@JasperLoy I've seen you asking that before, and I didn't understand it.

Grace Note

If you want to place on them the burden that one of their users is slowly vandalizing the site, be my guest.

Kit

6:50 PM

@Cerberus But that's because I notice everything you do, just like @Jasper.

user19161

@Kit Well, I don't notice everything he does. I've just seen some of his cute pictures!

RegDwight

@JasperLoy You talking about your user profile on SE? There's a restriction? I don't quite recall.

Cerberus

@GraceNote They would see an edit, and probably approve. It would be mixed in a bunch of legitimate edits.

Robusto

Database problems fixed, gotta do actual work now. CYA later.

Cerberus

Bye!

RegDwight

6:51 PM

CU

simchona

Bye

aedia

Hasta luego!

user19161

@RegDwight I mean click on network profile, then top questions list. I thought only +5 would be listed, but I have one +4 there. Let me show you.

Grace Note

@Cerberus It's always been a case-by-case basis, last I checked.

aedia

@RegDwight I think Jasper is saying that something with only 4 upvotes multicollided?

user19161

6:52 PM

stackexchange.com/users/c0743bbb-ff0e-4e7f-a1e4-0ad4affe78dd

Cerberus

@GraceNote I will try it next week, and you may check all my edits. See if you can tell with enough certainty that one is bad.

RegDwight

@aedia Nah, that's what I thought at first, too, but now I've figured it out.

Grace Note

@Cerberus I can't. It's not my job. It is Dwig's and nohat's and waiwai's

If you want them to have to deal with that, I reiterate, it's on your hands.

RegDwight

@Cerberus There's a silent assumption here I don't quite like. Namely that others are in on your plan.

user19161

@RegDwight figured out what?

user19161

6:53 PM

The link is above.

Cerberus

@RegDwight I wasn't serious, and I have said I would not do it several times. I am just saying it could be done. I don't remember why.

RegDwight

@JasperLoy Not the answer to your question. Only the question itself.

user19161

@RegDwight Brilliantesimo.

user19161

It's a mystery.

user19161

Like me.

RegDwight

6:56 PM

@JasperLoy Oh, haha, that one is easy. The answer is on Math.SE. Mathematicians can't count. They are in a whole nother business.

Cerberus

@RegDwight By the way, there is no plan, and there are no "others".

user19161

@lauren How is your weekend? I noticed you have been working hard at the edits. Keep up the good job!

RegDwight

@Cerberus I'm just saying that I, for one, do not approve edits that are not crystal clear to me.

Lauren Ψ

@Jasper thanks!

weekend was good, been working on the edits most of today

JSBangs

@LaurenΨ i noticed that you edited one of my titles. once i stopped crying, i admitted that it was probably ok

Lauren Ψ

6:58 PM

@JSBangs which question?

Cerberus

@RegDwight Then how do you do that? I wouldn't notice my own wrong edit if I had forgotten.

Lauren Ψ

if you don't like my edits you're welcome to change it back

no biggie

Kit

@JSBangs There, there. The same thing happened to me.

simchona

That's why I don't ask questions.

Cerberus

Yes, Lauren has been doing good work.

simchona

6:59 PM

And if she edited it, it means you had top 1000 in pageviews

Kit

@JSBangs I just edited it again to make it comprehensible. ;-)

user19161

@simchona Then others can't downvote you without losing a point themselves. :)

Lauren Ψ

cool, thanks for the help

RegDwight

@Cerberus If it's wrong, I don't approve it. If I have no idea, I don't touch it at all.

Matt Ellen

@Kit Luckily everything I write is perfect, so it doesn't happen to me.

simchona

6:59 PM

@Jasper They can always downvote my answers

Michael Myers

@JSBangs Ha! That would never happen to... WHAT HAPPENED TO MY QUESTION???

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English Language & Usage: Multi-Layer…