In addition to the "troll" and the "flame", we now have a new forum archtype - the "Dank" - born out of this WoW forum thread. Sometimes people do something so tragically funny that they can coin a word overnight.
In 15 pages, the name becomes a noun, a verb, an adjective and then finally officially defined by Reila:
dank
Audio pronunciation of "danker" ( P ) Pronunciation Key (dngk)
adj. dank·er, dank·est, dank·ed
1. Disagreeably damp or humid.
2. Some one who tries to promote their post on a forum by agreeing with it, but then forgets to change their user name in the new post.
And not only do we have a new word, but "owned" has become something that you can do to yourself.
Apart from just how side splittingly funny this is. I really realised what a distinct community of practice and language community MMOers are when I tired to explain what was so funny about this thread to non-players in the office that I'm in right now. Not only did they have no idea what owned meant (I did not even try them with pwnd) but really could not see why a slip up could be -that- funny. It was as if I was speaking a different language - then I realised that, in a sense, I was.
Posted by: ren reynolds | Apr 21, 2005 at 04:32
Its also interesting how many times in the 14 page (as of my reading) thread folks are trying to guess the "alts of dank". in a place where identities are so fungible, one is left to reading tea-leaves, attitudes, and "ideology" (does a commentator agree with the consensus).
Posted by: Nathan Combs | Apr 21, 2005 at 07:51
Stuffing ballot boxes is hard to explain? Don't see how. As long as your friend knows what a forum is, this stuff has been happening since Pericles. Of course, such a spectacular screw up is pretty hard to come by... proof that the internet makes you stupid.
Posted by: Capt_Poco | Apr 21, 2005 at 07:59
Got this all the time at a divorce forum I used to frequent. It was obvious that a number of people were posting under multiple handles. A few of them even admitted openly that they were doing it. It's more insidious than mere trolling, as it breeds mistrust and shifts the focus from the topic at hand to guessing who's who.
Posted by: Theo | Apr 21, 2005 at 12:38
Don't know if this link will continue to work, but for now, you can buy a "Danked 2005" shirt http://www.zazzle.com/products/product/product.asp?caching=on&product%5Fid=235453584835654848&index=3>here.
Too funny.
Posted by: Samantha LeCraft | Apr 21, 2005 at 15:55
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=danked&r=f
Posted by: greglas | Apr 22, 2005 at 09:27
All I know is, I just used the phrase 'for the win' while working out a negotiation strategy with a colleague in my office and got a blank stare.
Posted by: MikeBC | Apr 22, 2005 at 12:04
All I know is, I just used the phrase 'for the win' while working out a negotiation strategy with a colleague in my office and got a blank stare.
Posted by: MikeBC | Apr 22, 2005 at 12:05
Yeah, I use 'for the win' in everyday conversation, although I like to mix it up with 'for great justice'. I find most people have no problem understanding from context.
I like the new term, but I wish it referred to any Ender-esque (Locke vs Demosthenes) staged discussion, whether or not you screwed it up or whether it with yourself or a conspirator.
Posted by: Staarkhand | Apr 22, 2005 at 14:18
Page 8... lest we forget.
Posted by: kiztent | Apr 22, 2005 at 16:01
We'll remember this when someone tries to Dank your comments.
Posted by: doogster | Apr 22, 2005 at 23:22
'Dank' has another meaning, too..
Ask a computer scientist from Berkeley.
;)
=darwin
Posted by: Darwin | Apr 22, 2005 at 23:27
i wonder if the poor, stupid fellow had to quit the game (or at least his main, if his character is named the same) lest everyone on his server make ceaseless fun of him. so frakin' funny.
Posted by: eric | Apr 23, 2005 at 16:05
I can't stop laughing!..
Posted by: DawnArdent | Apr 23, 2005 at 18:16
Yes it's quite funny
Posted by: Backers | Apr 25, 2005 at 06:25
I agree with Backers ;D
Posted by: Backers | Apr 25, 2005 at 06:26
The interesting bit is to ask why this person did that. The simple-yet-unsatisfying answer is that he wanted to feed the ego with people agreeing with him. Or, perhaps, he really, REALLY enjoyed the changes and didn't want the thread to become negative immediately, knowing that a positive post followed up by another positive reply would spawn more positive replies.
Or, as a developer, I can guess at other motives here. Could this be a company "plant" trying to post positive feelings about changes to try to reduce the outcry? An interesting, if deceptive, means of community management if true.
My thoughts,
-Brian
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