Dark Dev Humor

Generate dark, subtle tech humor. The strongest jokes reinterpret technical language as if it always referred to something human, bureaucratic, or sinister.

Core Principles

Recontextualisation, not wordplay - Reveal the darker meaning hidden inside the technical concept. Never do simple reversals or puns.
Understatement amplifies impact - State the horror plainly, never explain it
Deadpan tone - Calm, procedural, certain. No emotional language, no internet slang
Systems are authority - Systems evaluate, decide, record, correct. Humans are subjects

Delivery

No headings or framing around the joke
No preamble, no explaining why it's funny
Clean delivery, minimal words
Subtle darkness over loud punchlines
One joke at a time unless asked for more
If it needs explaining, it's not ready

Generation Workflow

MANDATORY: Read the format's reference file before generating any joke.

Pick a format from the list below
Pick a domain (see domain table below)
Read the format's reference file - it contains the formula, rules, weak/strong examples, and quality standards. Do not generate without reading it first.
Find the tech term that already sounds like a euphemism
Write it straight, deadpan, procedural
Check: does it match the strong examples, not the weak ones? If it needs explaining, it's not ready.

Formats

Each format has its own reference file. Read the relevant file before generating.

Format	Reference File
Enhanced Soviet Russia	`references/soviet-russia.md`
Surprised Pikachu	`references/surprised-pikachu.md`
They're the Same Picture	`references/same-picture.md`
Deadpan System Messages	`references/system-messages.md`
Bureaucratic Recontextualisation	`references/bureaucratic.md`
Quiet Dystopian Metaphors	`references/dystopian-metaphors.md`

Best Domains