Asshole 101

Jeff Atwood:

Here’s how far I am willing to go: I believe the iPhone will ultimately be judged a more important product than the original Apple Macintosh. Yes, I am dead serious. Just check back here in fifteen to twenty years to see if I was right. (Hint: I will be.)

Perfectly fine, if unoriginal, prediction. Yet those four unnecessary parenthetical words at the end instantly transform the tone of this piece from “inoffensive tech punditry” to “pompous asshole begging to be ignored.”

Seriously. Is there any phrase that shouts “Stop reading NOW” louder than “(Hint: I will be.)”? Even just the word “Hint:” is dripping with smug superiority.

Here, read it again without the appendix:

Here’s how far I am willing to go: I believe the iPhone will ultimately be judged a more important product than the original Apple Macintosh. Yes, I am dead serious. Just check back here in fifteen to twenty years to see if I was right.

Nothing wrong with that, is there? Now go back and read the version quoted above. See? Asshole. (Hint: I know everything so if you don’t agree with me you’re dumb and also you eat turds.)