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Re: Moderator note - Theories

Original poster: Terry Fritz <vardin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Hi Bill,

I have never heard of "Goodwin's law" or the "Nazi rule"... But after moderating the Tesla list since 1998, I "know the drill" ;-)))

The posts start out nice.... But since there is no solid evidence to back anyone's particular "belief" up, it just gets into a matter of differing "opinions"...

Since everyone knows "they are right", even though that can't prove anything, the "other guy" must be nuts ;-))) The threads degenerate into personal attacks and there is no new "solid information" anymore... Next comes the dreaded "moderator note" and the typical "you cut this thread off before I could flame him one more time!" complaint :o)))

Threads die rather slowly... The personal and off-topic stuff starts up gradually and post rejections rise higher and higher as the "facts" get "used up"... When about 70% go to reject, it is time just to dump the thread... I usually let them go a bit "too long"...

On the Tesla list, we are pretty good about not "reacting" to things that are obvious "flame baits", so I go pretty easy normally. In good times, nothing gets rejected... We have posters from all over the worlds and sometimes things that mean nothing to them, might get a "reaction" out of us. But over the years we learn to just realize that we are all real nice folks and not take any particular statement with any bad meaning... We trust they really "did not mean it like that"...

The "true trolls" are very few (about one a year) and Chip and I "fix" them ;-)) We all have our personal "triggers" and "bad days". But we just have to remember to be kind and respectful even if our "opponent" seems to be getting nasty... If we resists the temptation to "set them off too", they will probably calm down buy the next day...

I do let a mostly good post through even if it does have an "inflamatory" bit to it... I trust you will all take the good, and ignore the "little" bad...

Cheers,

        Terry


At 09:41 PM 8/8/2005, you wrote: 
On Mon, 8 Aug 2005, Tesla list wrote:

> The subjects of what makes good or bad science, theories, laws, or
> religions is getting pretty old.  I will start rejecting them...

Well, the discussion actually seems to be OT : "Should we automatically
reject all first-hand eyewitness accounts of Ball Lightning?"

But Godwin's law, or the "Usenet Nazi rule" seems to have arisen.  That's
the rule where, as soon as one party uses derogatory labels or "smear
tactics" in place of proper argument, that person automatically loses the
argument.  The thread becomes worthless and might as well end.

   "The Law is generally used on Usenet as an indicator of whether a
    thread has gone on too long, who's playing fair and who's just
    slinging mud, and who finally gets to "win" the discussion.  It has,
    over time, become the closest thing to an impartial moderator that
    Usenet can get."  http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/legends/godwin/

I've always wondered why the "Nazi rule" should effectively reveal when
threads become worthless.  I think it's because it shows the point when
one or both parties have stopped listening to the other.  If someone stops
using valid argument, and instead starts bad-mouthing their opponents'
reasoning, it means they see their opponent as "evil."  They'd sooner
listen to Nazi propaganda than listen to careful logical arguments from
that opponent.  We don't use smear tactics against those we respect.
Repect has flown out the window, and further discussion is guaranteed to
be the same as a flamewar, so the thread can safely be shut down.


(((((((((((((((((( ( (  (   (    (O)    )   )  ) ) )))))))))))))))))))
William J. Beaty                            SCIENCE HOBBYIST website
billb at amasci com                         http://amasci.com
EE/programmer/sci-exhibits   amateur science, hobby projects, sci fair
Seattle, WA  206-789-0775    unusual phenomena, tesla coils, weird sci