OT but apt to this community - That's what I thought, but after a lifetime of 'correcting' people, I looked up the definition of sarcasm. Turns out that the sarcastic-sounding truths I'd been deploying for decades were indeed by-the-book sarcasm rather than 'I can't believe it's not sarcasm'.

Key quote from brilliant word-talking-guy Henry Fowler: "Sarcasm does not necessarily involve irony [but it often does] ... The essence of sarcasm is the intention of giving pain by (ironical or other) bitter words."

So, we circle back to Node.js by way of pain and bitterness. Sounds about right.