On the "Dark Side"

This study examines the use of online humour in a subversive local community Facebook group set up 2017 by disgruntled members banned from similar “in opposition to [the original group’s] arbitrarily-applied rules, [its] enforced happiness, and suppression any post that isn't about giving away lemons or asking borrow small appliances”. The dissatisfaction with guidelines administration provides rich material for humorous posts new group, many varying degrees aggression directed at founder certain “Dark Side”, as is frequently referred to. article will demonstrate how this rival used purposes inclusion exclusion, it contributes sense belonging practice (Lave & Wenger 1991) created self-declared dissidents. It be shown shapes identity through members’ shared ideologies beliefs (Tanskanen 2018), messages intended denigrate belittle Side” reinforce unity among members, since feeling superiority over those being ridiculed coexists (Billig 2005). Fifteen single comments multi-post threads were chosen analysis. These appeared during first twenty months group’s existence, included primarily affiliative and/or aggressive (Meyer 2015) group. analysis was carried out using elements computer-mediated discourse (Herring 2004), an insider participant-observer ethnographic approach. examples illustrate unite dividing them one, create joking culture (Fine de Soucey 2005) so doing, creates sustains irreverent breakaway troublemakers.