That's correct. I can't even really take credit for any of the really nice work, as much as I wish I could!
replyCould be either. Nevertheless, while tone is tricky in text, the writer is responsible for relieving ambiguity.
replyeliminating ambiguity is impossible. the reader should work to find the strongest interpretation of the writer's words
replythat’s a lot to expect of readers… good writing needs to give readers every opportunity to find the good in it.
replyIt is a lot to expect of readers... It's also explicitly asked of us in this forum. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html. "Please respond to the strongest plausible interpretation of what someone says, not a weaker one that's easier to criticize. Assume good faith."
replyfair point
replyit’s fine for a forum to try to have different expectations than the local cafe - that’s kind of like a host asking their guests to remove shoes before walking into their home. but it doesn’t really change a priori basic facts about good writing.
replyperhaps this is the appropriate forum to reference pg
It's also natural language though, one can find however much ambiguity in there as they can inject. It hasn't for a single moment come across as pretentious to me for example.
replyThink of all the tiresome Twitter discussions that went like "I like bagels -> oh, so you hate croissants?".