this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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How did people take this so seriously, especially on a meme community? (Gore?)
"Poe's law is an adage of Internet culture which says that, without a clear indicator of the author's intent, any parodic or sarcastic expression of extreme views can be mistaken by some readers for a sincere expression of those views."
There is an urban legend saying he claimed to have invented the internet. What actually happened was that he was asked in a 1999 interview how he was different from other candidates and replied: "During my service in the United States Congress, I took the initiative in creating the Internet. [...]". He was probably referring to legislative efforts.
I feel like I am watching a recursive meme stuck in an infinite loop and I can't tell who is being sincere vs who is shit posting.
Live stream of my reaction:
just enjoy the confusion
I am am aware of the reference. I guess the lesson here is to accept that I'm old and many others will not.