this post was submitted on 06 Jul 2026
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Explain Like I'm Five
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I don't think pointing to a Wikipedia article without further explanation is in the spirit of ELI5.
I know, should have just left it. but there is an amazing amount of information already out there
Yes, but that's not the point.
ELI5 means Explain Like I'm 5 [ys/o]. It's not meant to be an info-dump, it's meant to be a basic explainer for someone who is interested to know about a specific thing, but has no knowledge of the surrounding subject matter.
Would you point a 5 year old to a wikipedia article and tell them to read up about DNS's. No, you'd explain it to them in terms they understand.
Damn, now I'm seriously thinking about making an "Explain Like I'm 5 [Goblins in a Trench Coat]" community over on ttrpg.network.
Edit: !eli5goblins@ttrpg.network