Faux HTML Tags
 |
OP (name redacted) Has anyone noticed that Twitter-style hashtags have replaced HTML-style coding as meta-commentary on the internet? —Fail Blog
|
 |
HTML is the markup language that powers the internet. Every web page uses it or technology that builds upon it. It also happens to be very simple to pick up: make an opening tag with <tag>, then close it by inserting a / in front of the tag name, like </tag>. Thus, on blogs and Internet discussion forums, some participants uses the SGML-style tags popularized by HTML (or sometimes BB Code-style tags) to accentuate their messages. These tags include <sarcasm>...</sarcasm> and <rant>...</rant>. Sometimes these Faux HTML Tags can include attributes such as <flame tone="angry">...</flame>.
Often the opening tag will be omitted and only the closing tag will be there, as a kind of self-conscious lampshade hung on the preceding flame/rant/etc.
Can also be used in image macros; here is an example. Note that not all edited photos are image macros: Some humorous pictures are seen on the 'Net, such as a man with "</head> <body>" tattooed on his neck or a tombstone with "</life>".
</unsubscribe> is occasionally used on Usenet to indicate that one is unsubscribing from a thread. However, the proper use should be either </subscribe> (to indicate that the subscription is ending) or <unsubscribe /> (XML empty tag to indicate an unsubscription). It probably means, though, that the person has just finished the process of unsubscribing. </JustifyingEdit>
This used to be done with faux C preprocessor directives, e.g.:
|
#ifdef FLAME |
|
but that usage has largely been supplanted by more-approachable HTML.
Also known as Ostensible Markup Language [dead link], although it's not the only meaning of that phrase.
There is a small amount of Truth in Television (or web forums) here. HTML is a real thing and its style and syntax is being followed correctly, the tags used... not so correctly. It's highly unlikely that <sarcasm> or <rant mood="angry"> will become a real tag in a web standard, but <article> is a real tag and you can view it on the MDN Web Docs. It's part of what developers call semantic HTML, where tags communicate their purpose. Other semantic tags includes <summary> and <nav> (navigation).
Real Life
- Adam Savage of Mythbusters frequently wears a T-shirt that states <mythbuster> "Am I missing an eyebrow?" </mythbuster>.
- Anti-war candidate Darcy Burner wore a T-shirt with </WAR> on it in several photos.
- As mentioned in the article, on many forum trends. There are simply too many of them to list and we'll be here all day.
</examples>