Side story: I was on an old IRC channel back in the early 90s when I used the word “ornery” in the chat. Another member didn’t understand what the word was, so asked me to explain it. I found it a difficult definition to articulate adequately: gouchy, touchy, irascible, etc. Then somebody else chimed in with a completely wrong attempt (something to do with happy or silly.) I countered, other folks jumped in with their understanding of the word, and thus was lit one of the early, Paleozoic internet flame wars. (I also leave open the possibility I may have fallen for some of the first proto-trolls successfully baiting me….).
Side story: I was on an old IRC channel back in the early 90s when I used the word “ornery” in the chat. Another member didn’t understand what the word was, so asked me to explain it. I found it a difficult definition to articulate adequately: gouchy, touchy, irascible, etc. Then somebody else chimed in with a completely wrong attempt (something to do with happy or silly.) I countered, other folks jumped in with their understanding of the word, and thus was lit one of the early, Paleozoic internet flame wars. (I also leave open the possibility I may have fallen for some of the first proto-trolls successfully baiting me….).