The Register® — Biting the hand that feeds IT

El Reg deploys (extra) comment icons

Your guide to use and abuse

The commentators among you will have noticed that El Reg recently deployed a set of 11 "comment icons" (now expanded to 23) allowing you, our beloved readers, to flag your two bits' worth with a suitable image.

However, it seems there's a bit of confusion as to what pic should accompany which sort of outburst, so here are our guidelines:

Thumbs up Thumbs-up: I approve of this.
Thumbs down Thumbs-down: I do not approve of this.
Stop Stop: Stop this nonsense forthwith.
Go Go: Proceed with this nonsense at flank speed.
Happy Happy: I’m very happy and wish to express my contentment.
Unhappy Unhappy: I'm very unhappy and wish to express my discontent.
Luurv Luurv: I am in love with this writer/commentator and want to have his/her babies.
Flame Flame: I’m pretty pissed off and what follows is accompanied by steam coming out of my ears, etc, etc.
Adios Adios: I’m so furious that I am removing El Reg from my bookmarks.
Where’s the IT angle? Where’s the IT angle?: This is self-explanatory. Feel free to add comment about how when I was a lad The Register had proper tech coverage, etc, etc.
Where’s the Paris Hilton angle? Where’s the Paris Hilton angle?: Stuff the IT angle...
I’ll get me coat I’ll get me coat: Warning: Unforgivably corny comment follows.
Joke alert Joke alert: Warning: Comment may contain irony or sarcasm, and should be viewed accordingly.
General alert General alert: All hands man the pumps, run for the hills, batten down the hatches, and so forth.
Black helicopters Black helicopters: I hear the distant sound of black helicopters and am off to my Montana mountain bunker complex.
Boffin alert Boffin alert: May contain highly technical content requiring degree-level education or above.
Pirates ahoy! Pirates ahoy!: Prepare for boarding, me young buckaroos.
Alien Alien: There is an extraterrestrial explanation for all of this and here it is...
Mars Mars: Exclusively reserved for amanfromMars or his disciples.
Saint Gates Saint Gates: Bill Gates is God.
Devil Gates Devil Gates: Bill Gates is the Antichrist.
Saint Steve Saint Steve: Actually, I think you’ll find Steve Jobs is God.
Devil Steve Devil Steve: No he isn’t, and the iPhone sucks a big fat one.

Be warned that misuse of comment icons (eg, using a Boffin alert to draw the tech-minded readers into something which is actually about Lindsay Lohan nipslip websites), is punishable by a one-month ban from reading El Reg. Repeat offenders may be tracked by their IP address and paid a personal visit by the Vulture Central black ops soviet. You have been warned. ®

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