Hardware Insights Forum

Not that I realistically expect you to switch to a different language, but there's a major flaw in the English language that has the potential to lead to online discussions degenerating. And it would be a hell of a hard time to fix it.

The problem is that it doesn't have any representation of tone-of-voice in text.

It may seem obvious to ask someone to "be nicer" but the writer can't predict how the reader will respond. A common half-solution is for the writer to say what they don't mean but that produces clutter, becomes boring, and it is impossible to anticipate every potential interpretation.

The important thing is to assume good intent. Except in the case of targeted swearing (and targeted swearing only), by which I mean aimed at a forum member. And as tempting as it is to swear back, that's only going to make it worse.

No, smilies are not the solution. It's okay to use them but they aren't intended as serious indications of someone's mood.

Failing to think of a better solution, I propose using text colours for this purpose. (Not a perfect solution as it won't work in monochrome or plain text, and some colours (e.g. red and green) have to be mutually exclusive if you don't want to confuse colourblind people, but better than nothing, I suppose.) You don't have to adopt this system but I suggest at least trying to improve the quality of online discussion.

My choice of representations (coloured or otherwise)???
Black (default) - normal (none of the listed examples)
Yellow (#AF8F00) - joyful
Deep blue (#0000BF) - sad/depressed
Light blue (#4080BF) - dreamy
Teal (#408080) - tired
Purple (#8000BF) - embarassed
Brown (#806040) - frustrated
Grey (#606060) - disappointed
RED (#BF0000) IN ALL CAPS - angry (you probably shouldn't actually use this one, but I provided it just in case)
Red (#BF0000) in bold - warning
ALL CAPITALS - shouting (a pre-existing convention; you should not use it for emphasis)
Small text - whispering
(I will still allow green (#008000)/red (#BF0000) for good/bad, or any colour regardless of its meaning here when referring to colour-coded objects (e.g. wiring).)

If you have any other ideas, feel free to tell me about them. (Some of the colours above are deliberately darkened from their "usual" versions, as maximum brightness on the red and especially green channels would make them difficult to read.)

I don't recommend switching to a different font to convey a different meaning. Notably, I can't stand cursive handwriting, which is sometimes barely recognisable. (There's no tool to select a different font here, anyway...)

EDIT: Just figured out a catchy name for it - Rainbow Mood Encoding System (R.M.E.S.).

"R.M.E.S." can be pronounced as "armies."

Pink (#BF8080) - love

Update: changed the grey to #707070, as #606060 was a bit hard to distinguish from black. (Incidentally, because the background here is #E0E0E0, the new grey is exactly in the middle.)

My main concern with this would be laziness. I mean, a lot (myself included) would probably find it too cumbersome to colour code what they mean (especially when first learning what the colour codes mean), although it may not be such a problem if it were only used in off topic discussions where you're concerned it might be taken the wrong way.

As I have stated elsewhere, I don't endorse nor condemn this practice. Use it if you like, but it is unofficial, and I won't enforce it.

See this essay (I have to add to it, people who get all defensive when someone complains).

Topcat, ratdude747, willawake, among others, have been over-reliant on the language. You can't tell tone of voice from regular English text - it's monotonous.

I never intended to make this a requirement, but for those who have the time to learn it, I think it will be worth it. I never had any intention of using it in studies, manuals, etc. - only for those who want to state their feelings.

Some are changed, some are the same as before:
Yellow is changed from #AF8F00 to #BF9F00, which is pushing the limit of readability, though.
Deep blue is the same (#0000BF).
Light blue is changed from #4080BF to #4080E0. A subtle one but it does stand out noticeably better.
Teal is the same (#408080).
Purple is changed from #8000BF to #9000E0.
Brown is the same (#806040).
Grey is the same since the previous change (#707070).
Pink is changed from #BF8080 to #E080A0.
Red is changed from #BF0000 to #E00000.
Green, if you need it...#00A000 now.

This system is an inherent compromise between vividity of the colours and the readability of the underlying text, but it's the best I can do within the boundaries of the English language. Good thing joy is (I think) less common than many of the others, because yellow is the worst colour of all in this regard.

And - wait for it - I'm adding another one!!!

Orange (#E06000) - enthusiasm

This has got to be the goofiest thread on this forum. Is it serious?

It is, but no-one will bother following with it.

I have all the english language I need.
Normal: hi, get off my lawn
Angry: GET THE F*** OF MY D**** LAWN!!!!