For example, !lemmy starts with an !, but why not start with a # symbol?

      • KNova
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        71 year ago

        I explained that hashtags use the pound symbol already, and usernames use the @ symbol. Communities needed their own symbol.

        • @gylotip@lemmy.mlOP
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          11 year ago

          Okay, but how does a hashtag work? Can you give an example of a hashtagged word where Lemmy uses a hashtag?

          • KNova
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            21 year ago

            #hashtags don’t automatically work on Lemmy, but if I cross post this comment to another federated service (mastodon etc.) the hashtags should work there. #lemmy @knova@knova@dartboard.social

            • @gylotip@lemmy.mlOP
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              11 year ago

              Okay, we have:

              • # for tagging something
              • @ for usernames
              • ! for communities

              But does a question mark have any purpose here?

      • Knighthawk 0811
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        71 year ago

        probably because a hashtag is already a thing that means something else in other apps. making hashtag mean a community here would give it 2 meaning depending on the app and that’s not user friendly cause people will make mistakes if they move between apps.

        therefore a new character was chosen for communities to avoid such confusion