Sage (Internet)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
To sage (pronounced [sɑge]) a thread on an Internet forum is to post a reply to it without pushing it to the top of the thread list, using a special feature of the forum software. The word is derived from Japanese sageru (下げる "to lower"), although it does not actually mean "lower", but rather it is the opposite of age, a bump. The sage feature was first implemented on the Japanese forum 2channel.
Sage can be used as a courtesy, allowing one to quietly add comments that may not be interesting enough to warrant pushing the thread to the top. It can also be used to prevent trolls from seeing a private conversation on a thread that is low on the list.
However, on imageboards it is notably used as a way to show displeasure with the post being replied to. Although the original intention of this was to keep flamebait or spam threads from rising to the top of the list, this is also used simply to be rude, violating netiquette. On some imageboards, a picture may be saged repeatedly so that future replies will not bump it any more. Replying with just the word "sage" is a common way to express dislike of a thread on forums where sage is enabled.
Because of this, especially on American forums where sage is a relatively new feature, using sage even politely may be met with hostility.
