is there anyway to tell the difference between an extreme position and a parody of an extreme

[datasuspect]

position?



sometimes, i sit there thinking, "geez, this person cannot be serious."

[mainegreen]

1. Tricky isn't it?

[datasuspect]

2. no shit

this whole "no body language communication" thing gets surreal sometimes.

[mainegreen]

3. The only way I know is if you have read the posters posts enough to feel it out.

Sometimes I read thread abandonment also as a show that the thread might be sarcasm.
:shrug:

[RogueSpirit]

4. Any particular position?

What position exactly are you referring to? I have heard some nutty comments from some people that makes me shake my head and wonder if they are serious. Sadly, they usually are, but they are also kind of unstable. On the net, I can usually tell if someone is serious by long rambling posts that are usually devoid of paragraph separation and the points seem disjointed.

A normal person trying to parody a point like this usually connects their thoughts in a more coherent manner, that oddly enough, raises a flag for me that they might not be serious.

[Left Is Write]

5. The parody usually contains subtleties not found in the extreme position.

Undercurrents of humor and sarcasm are usually present.

[Sock Puppet]

6. with you i usually assume it's a parody

:patriot:

and i love you for it.

[EstimatedProphet]

7. Sometimes it's hard, that's for sure

A clue might be whether they make statements that are completely outrageous, and then do nothing to back them up. I think an extremist would at least try.

What's really weird is when someone takes an extreme position, and just when you are sure they are trolling, other people come along to back them up.