The difference between LJ and Skyehawke

[blamebrampton]

In one of my stories, I have a scene in which the bad guys attempt to take control of the Thames Barrier to hold it open while an artificial storm surge races up the river to flood much of London. It's told in fast snatches, but there are a number of very clear bits of information given to show what's happening, including:

The rest of Draco's Unspeakables arrive. He speaks quickly: "Thames Barrier, we think there's a team using dark magic to hold it open. Storm surge is coming, a big one."

A few people responded to its posting on LJ with "I had no idea what the Barrier was, so I looked it up, it's cool/was on Doctor Who!"

Last night I posted that chapter on Skyhawke. Today I received a comment similar to "Look, I liked it, but you'd have made the ending so much more gripping if you'd explained what the Barrier was." *

I was THIS CLOSE to answering with "Thanks very much for letting me know you liked it, but if you need more Barrier info, you can find it easily! In my day we did not have Google and you had to shag computer scientists to get internet access, so just count yourself lucky, young whippersnapper and use the tools Tim Berners-Lee gave you!"

I held back, but only because I knew I'd receive a reply saying "Berners-Lee? Who?!"

Ah LJ folk, Let me never take you for granted ...

* I should emphasise that I genuinely think this person meant to be helpful here. They were not being intentionally annoying, I am just the least patient closet librarian in the vicinity.

Comments

[grey-hunter.livejournal.com]

haha whippersnapper... is that non-HP-speech for "dunderhead"? :D (Btw, my dictionary say that's an American expression. Is that right?)

I'd have felt like gripping their throat and shaking just a little bit. :P

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

I think it means young and inexperienced person. It's definitely American, they use it all the time in old American films!

[grey-hunter.livejournal.com]

hm. Then what business does Snape have using it??? (At least, I have a html copy which is said to be the English version and it's in it.)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

Snape is only a few years older than me, and my generation grew up using quite a few Americanisms (even though people deny it). Whippersnapper is such a good one, it deserves to be international!

[grey-hunter.livejournal.com]

Snape is only a few years older than me

huh? Now there's a case of violently wrenched eyebrows! Not to sound offensive but... if that's true then why the heck are you making it seem as if you could be anyone's grandma here? LOL I mean, reading thrown-away comments about your age scattered all over your entries/comments made me think you were between sixty and Dumbledore! *laughs at self*

And why does whippersnapper remind me of viper-snapper? (Yes, I know, probably only Viktor Krum would say them using the same vowel -- and that's probably also your explanation, so there. :P)

[blamebrampton.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHA! Probably because I've been hanging out with too many twentysomethings, so being a fortysomething FEELS like a sixtysomething ...

OOOOH I LOVE Vipersnapper! You need to write Viktor fic that includes that!