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Godwin's Law

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October 13, 2016, 07:00
Geoff
Godwin's Law
Until today I wasn't aware of this term, which was coined in 1990. Are others here more aware than I regarding it? If so, please explain it.
October 13, 2016, 09:49
arnie
quote:
Also known as "Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies". Originated by Richard Sexton, and popularized by Mike Godwin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (and of the Wikimedia Foundation until 2010) in 1990 in the form:
As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.
Reformulated in the Net.Legends FAQs "Usenet Rule #4":
"Any off-topic mention of Hitler or Nazis will cause the thread it is mentioned in to come to an irrelevant and off-topic end very soon; every thread on Usenet has a constantly-increasing probability to contain such a mention."
From TV Tropes - WARNING - TV Tropes will ruin your life.


Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
October 14, 2016, 12:18
bethree5
haha that's a law I've often seen in action
October 14, 2016, 14:50
<Proofreader>
Ja, mein Fuehrer1

Let's see what THAT generates.
October 15, 2016, 23:04
arnie
Several of us started out as "grammar nazis" when we joined this site, but I think most regular members have mellowed into a more descriptivist attitude.

Hardcore grammar nazis tend to get short shrift here and often leave hastily.


Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day. Set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life.
October 17, 2016, 18:18
Geoff
I prefer to be known as a grammar prig.
October 21, 2016, 20:14
Kalleh
quote:
Several of us started out as "grammar nazis" when we joined this site, but I think most regular members have mellowed into a more descriptivist attitude.
Yes, I agree, arnie. I was one.
October 21, 2016, 21:37
BobHale
As a mathematician, I'd like to propose a corollary.

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving any arbitrarily chosen subject approaches one.

After all a zero length discussion has no chance of any topic being mentioned but an infinite one will have mentioned everything. Big Grin


"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
October 22, 2016, 11:13
Geoff
Back on the comparison to Hitler: http://www.nydailynews.com/new...dy-article-1.2762541
October 24, 2016, 12:23
Kalleh
That is very interesting, Geoff. Interestingly, I had always thought psychopaths were 100% negative, but apparently they have some positive characteristics, too.

I do think it hard to psychologically analyze from afar, and not that scholarly. However, it's in Scientific American, so it was all peer reviewed. I certainly can see a lot of those characteristics in Trump.
October 24, 2016, 15:31
<Proofreader>
I'd rate him somewhere between Norman Bates and Hannibal Lector. But I assume he has a good side.