Same Planet, Different Words

[bloodyrosemccoy]

MOM: I had the strangest experience on Facebook recently.

AMELIA: Oh?

MOM: Yes, it was bizarre. You see, I am in a group with some of my old classmates from school, and I posted a long comment about my views on healthcare. I have to admit, I was doing it partly because the guy who runs the group is a die-hard conservative, and I may have been baiting him a little. But the rest of the group started commenting on it, too, and they were getting a pretty good debate going, along with some jerks who were simply throwing insults. But then, a day or two later, I got on and found that my comment had been deleted! The guy said it was “irrelevant.” You are laughing—why?

AMELIA: You were trolling?

MOM: What?

AMELIA: You were trolling! You posted a rant on a messageboard, wank ensued, and then the mod put on his Mod Hat and baleeted the thread, declaring it OT.

MOM: What the hell did you just say?

AMELIA: The same thing you just said, only in jargon.

MOM: You mean this happens a lot?

AMELIA: Enough that it’s got its own vocabulary, yes. Welcome to the internets.

MOM: Oh, god.


And this is why I’m an anthropological linguist—I find it fascinating how very much language can adapt to describe the remarkable breadth of human experience. Mom can describe things totally out of my depth (the Sixties, for example, or Catholicism); and I have simple terms for things new to her experience, like the internet. Language is wonderfully flexible, and the stuff we come up with is infinitely creative.

Plus, there’s just something hilarious about being able to yell, “HEY, GUYS, MOM STARTED A FLAMEWAR!” Gives you warm fuzzies all over.

Comments

[mooncat75.livejournal.com]

THAT is awesome! Sometimes I think it would do my mom good to learn more about the internet...then there are times when I'm glad she doesn't or she would want to friend me whereever I go.

Off topic...can I snag your 'Procrastinating Dalek' icon? It's awesome.

[mis-creation.livejournal.com]

Ha! A co-worker (who talks out the other side of her mouth a LOT) was telling me about when she used to go onto internet message boards and cause trouble. She would make up characters to play and get people to start arguments and take sides and she just thought it was incredibly fun.

Yes: one of my co-workers is a sock puppet and a troll. I explained both those terms to her and she just shrugged and said it amused her.

[ellixis.livejournal.com]

Beautiful. XD

[dark-phoenix54.livejournal.com]

That is *hysterical*!!

I have those same kinds of conversations with the in-laws. Try explaining 'steampunk' to someone who lives in a rural area and rarely goes on the internet.

[annotated_em]

Hahahahah, reminds me of my mom and the fact that she was the anonymous troll who got my sister to flock her LJ. Good times, good times.

[thewrongcrowd.livejournal.com]

I <3 ur mom. :-D

[agenttrojie.livejournal.com]

*laughs and laughs and laughs some more* That's hilarious, and your mum is clearly awesome.

Also, jargon is brilliant. Jargon FTW, if you will :P

[glaikery.livejournal.com]

And this is why I'm an anthropological linguist

Yes. (By which I mean, I am not precisely an anthropological linguist, but what a wonderful argument-for this is.)

Seriously, this makes me super happy, though it would make me extremely pleased as a story even if I were not in linguistics at all, I feel certain.

:DDD

...right then.

[cougarfang.livejournal.com]

Welcome to the internets, indeed. XD

Also, thank you for an excuse to rewatch this vid.