how to tell if someones joking/being sarcastic over internet

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ive been caught out a lot by this, people say the most weird things and then say "dude im joking" when i respond, i never can seem to tell when people are joking, hell even when other autistic people are in conversation, even they say they were just joking. I have enough trouble telling offline never mind online but it seems to give me the most issue socially (as most chats i do take place online)

Sarcasm, "dry" wit and deadpan joking are very hard to convey online in the typed word.

And yeah, in real life it can be hard enough to tell if someone is doing this kind of joking. I'm terrible at detecting it in real life, face to face, even seeing the person's face and hearing their tone.

So online it's basically impossible for me to know it when I see it.

The person has to be skilled in getting it across. Most people don't try to make sure they signal that they're being sarcastic, I suppose because it takes the sarcasm out of it to kind of explain that it's what you're doing in the first place.

I can't stand sarcastic humor, not least because I never "catch" it when it's thrown my way. I don't get it and then the person is snickering, thinking I'm stupid. Well no, correction, once in a while I do realize someone's being sarcastic -- and I still don't like it, lol.

The fact that the things they are saying are really weird is probably the biggest hint. That's how I detect sarcasm, online and offline.

There is the weird sarcasm, yes, but sometimes people can be sarcastic by saying something that sounds normal and even kindly, but they mean it in a mean way.

Sometimes joking is just that ... joking.
Other times, people say something nasty on purpose,
and then claim they were "just joking" if you get offended.

It can definitely be harder to tell what someone's intention is
over the Internet.

I know another guy whose also autistic and he seems to know exactly when people are joking or being sarcastic, he thinks its weird i have a problem with picking up on any of it haha.


but then people think im really dumb, sometimes its "dumb in a cute way" because i never pick up on it when apparently its obvious

If it sounds ridiculous, it's probably a joke. Unless you're on a political forum.

I'll admit I'm not very good at detecting sarcasm online either. Unless people explicitly state that they're being sarcastic, I'll most likely take whatever they said seriously.