New punctuation - SarcMark

[rts]

Expressing sarcasm in the written word can be a dangerous business, as anyone forced to apologise for sending a tongue-in-cheek email will confirm. The SarcMark, as it has been named, is designed to be used in the same way as an exclamation or question mark.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/n ... usion.html

Bit of a gimmick, also with a cost of $1.99. Maybe it will catch on with the younger folk.

[Cache]

Apparently this already exists.

"In certain Ethiopic languages, sarcasm is indicated at the end of a sentence with a sarcasm mark called temherte slaq, a character that looks like the inverted exclamation point - ¡ "

See http://www.slate.com/id/2111172 - The ¡ symbol has the added bonus of being free, but it still hasn't caught on. Don't expect this new SarcMark to fare well to be honest.

[Sput]

Well just so long as no-one starts trying to use it here. My God, it'd be the Interrobang thread all over again!

[cdd]

Well I think this is a thoroughly useful punctuation mark that should be used at every opportunity

Anyway, what's wrong with (!) ?

[Gavin Scott]

Well I think this is a thoroughly useful punctuation mark that should be used at every opportunity

Anyway, what's wrong with (!) ?

Oooh thanks cdd. I'll send you over the £1.99 I owe you.

[Invent Meridian]

I do not see the point of this punctuation mark. Every font in the world would need it's own style to suit the design of the font and this curvy monster definitely does not suit them all. For example I have adapted the 'SarcMark' to suit the font Museo Bold.

[aeonsource]

The amount of ®'s on that page are a bit excessive.

On most forums I go on, sarcasm is represented by a sentence ending in a /sarcasm fake BBCode tag.

[scottishtv]

Anyway, what's wrong with (!) ?

Indeed. That's what I use in IMs etc. I learnt that tip long ago thanks to Ceefax page 888.

[Nick Harvey]

This sounds very much like a case of BBC dumbing down coming to the internet.

I always work on the principle that if people aren't intelligent enough to tell when I'm joking or being sarcastic, then they deserve to get upset.

[Cache]

I always work on the principle that if people aren't intelligent enough to tell when I'm joking or being sarcastic, then they deserve to get upset.

Exactly.If humour or sarcasm needs to be explained then it's no longer funny.

[Steve in Pudsey]

I was under the impression that :-) had been invented for this exact purpose?