Here's the raw
◊, if we decide to keep it, but without image macro-ness.
Hi
Pulled the current. If someone could do a stick figure or cartoon person saying something completely random and unrelated to the page content, that could work.
xkcd has context-free grammar
. (It's a programming joke.)
serial tweaker, sorry
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
If it's enough that the question is unrelated to the page content, practically any conversation starter from Lucky Star could work, them having Seinfeldian Conversations all the time (the questions are frequently unrelated to anything in the show too). A single-panel subbed screencap might do the trick, e.g. [1]
◊.
That one doesn't seem too Left-Fielder-y to non-programmers, I don't think. If we could change "Grammar!" to, say, "Birthmarks!" or something that's obviously unrelated, it would be great. Can we do that though?
edited 10th Aug '12 6:12:24 AM by bananasloth
please don't capitalize my handle. I just don't like it.
Hi
I don't think we're supposed to make content changes like that...could be wrong, I can't think of a case off the top of my head where we have.
serial tweaker, sorry
I highly doubt it myself, just thought I'd ask. I don't think the xkcd comic works with "Grammar!" though.
edited 10th Aug '12 6:47:10 AM by bananasloth
please don't capitalize my handle. I just don't like it.
No, the other one.
I'd still say someone jumping in from the left for no reason counts for the trope, and illustrates it well. Changing the word doesn't really do anything to make it more of a Left-Fielder.
Check out my fanfiction!
serial tweaker, sorry
If the suggestion is to keep the first panel, then I wouldn't say introducing the topic of grammar (in however extravagant a fashion) at a language conference is a Left-Fielder. Even if you're a programmer/mathematician/linguist and get the joke, it's still related.
If the intention is to cut the first panel and just have someone appear shouting "Grammar!" on a page that's about online discussions, that would probably conjure up the image of a Grammar Nazi to most, which I think is misleading.
edited 10th Aug '12 1:41:43 PM by bananasloth
please don't capitalize my handle. I just don't like it.
Hi
Maybe we could put a pic of a famous baseball pitcher or catcher up there...that way you get both an example and a Stealth Pun...or would that have too much potential to mislead?
edited 10th Aug '12 1:39:37 PM by Willbyr
Why am I tempted to grab a screenshot of an offtopic thump in these fora?
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Hi
Perfect
Hi
Hi
How's this?
edited 10th Aug '12 3:55:19 PM by Willbyr
With a reaction shot attached (as in: *Thumped post* Next post: "What has that to do with anything?") it might work even better, but alone it can work too.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Hi
Well, I thumped myself to get that...trying to do that setup would likely involve finding an off-topic thump with a comment like that afterward, or setting up a thump and a reaction...no time to do either right now.
No, the other one.
What's that got to do with anything?
Septimus, that's exactly what I was thinking. And poking around the OTC threads helped me find this and a whole string of thumps here. We could also poke around this OTC thread which has tropers discussing on-topicness.
I'd be cautious against using such "Real TV Tropes" examples, as opposed to "artificial" ones.
Does somebody have the ability of pasting together Willbyr's shot with a reaction shot? I'd try myself but between sluggish connection, late evening and inexperience at photoshopping it would be hard.
"For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled." - Richard Feynman
Good point. We could set up an artificial one in this thread and then get a screenshot.
![[down]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_down.png "[down]"){kind=icon}
Whoever posts after me, please say something along the lines of "What does that have to do with anything?" Then I'll get a good screenshot of it.
edited 17th Aug '12 12:43:50 PM by Indigo12ash
Momentum, a function of mass and velocity, is conserved between portals. In layman's terms: speedy thing goes in, speedy thing comes out.
This post was thumped by the Stick of Off-Topic Thumping.
Stay on topic, please.
...what was that about?
In uffish thought
We can get this thump ourselves — edit [*[offtopic]] into your post without the asterisk and it'll display properly (see below) but not be on your record. The edit mark won't be visible.
Can I suggest the reply post has "No, the mod team are not sea slugs. Stop derailing."?
edited 17th Aug '12 12:51:33 PM by Telcontar
That was the amazing part. Things just keep going.
In uffish thought
This post was thumped by the Stick of Off-Topic Thumping.
Stay on topic, please.
No, the mod team are not secretly space aliens from the planet Tropelon. Stop derailing.
It's an image macro. I like it, and it demonstrates the trope (after all, the trope is about online discussion), and I really would like to keep it, but it's still an image macro. Should we keep it, or should we take it down?
Evil is my favorite color.