One of my most hated things in the dying days of Reddit is people having to put the /s because of all the mass down voting from users that didn’t get a post was a joke.
When I came here it seemed that wasn’t the case but I’ve noticed over the last month a lot of users using it or having -28 points for an off the cuff comment.
I might be just be a bit too bothered by the need to use it.
Tone indicators like /s and even smilies are great for text-based communication. It is extremely easy to misinterpret intent in text as there are no body language or auditory signals to provide context. As someone else stated already, use of tone indicators is good communication, making certain that one’s intent is clearly defined. This is especially helpful for ESL and neurodivergent people who may have increased challenges in ascertaining implicit meaning in a statement or joke.