Non-literal Communication on the Chinese Internet: A Case Study of Fishing

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"Fishing" is a particular form of non-literal communication on the Chinese Internet that tries to lure or bait others. We conducted a case study of fishing on a Chinese Q&A platform using a CDA-informed analytical method to deconstruct the linguistic structure of fishing language and identify its features. Further, we examined the influence of fishing language on the underlying communication environment. We found that fishing is a direct reaction to the rigid norms of politeness and friendliness imposed on users by platform owners. Our analysis reveals the role of fishing for autonomous and active negotiation of boundaries and linguistic norms for online discussion of controversial topics, demonstrating that fishing is organically connected with other social communication within the community. The findings challenge the typical characterization of non-literal communication in research and applications involving text mining and platform regulation that tends to see non-literal communication as abnormal and contribute a more refined understanding of online linguistic norms, community cohesion, and civil engagement.