Silly question about internet rules

markjomarkjo
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I'm hoping that one of you guys can refresh my memory on something. I seem to remember that there is some sort of rule out there that says someting to the effect of: in any internet (or newsgroup/forum/whaterver) discussion, once the name Hitler (or some other Nazi reference) is invoked, then the discussion has degenerated to a point where no further useful discussion can occur.



Does anyone know the name of the rule and maybe a link to the full text of it? I've seen in here and there, but I can't seem to find it right off.



I seem to remember another set of rules (or observations) about newsgroups about how 90% of everything is crap and nobody can agree which 10% isn't crap and there not being any guarantee that that 10% isn't crap too.



Thanks for any help

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 7
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Google. Search:



    hitler newsgroup rule



    got me http://www.faqs.org/faqs/usenet/legends/godwin/



    I'm sure a few variations on that search will work for you.



    Google is your friend.
  • Reply 2 of 7
    123123 Posts: 278member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by markjo

    I'm hoping that one of you guys can refresh my memory on something. once the name Hitler (or some other Nazi reference) is invoked,



    "anti-american" has been added to that group recently.
  • Reply 3 of 7
    mrmistermrmister Posts: 1,095member
    That made me laugh.
  • Reply 4 of 7
    pscatespscates Posts: 5,847member
    So true. Lots of killer buzzwords/phrases out there, and when I see them I usually go "uh oh...".







    Any sort of variations of "blood for oil" usually does it for me. I automatically know that anything following it is horseshit.



  • Reply 5 of 7
    amorphamorph Posts: 7,112member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by markjo

    I'm hoping that one of you guys can refresh my memory on something. I seem to remember that there is some sort of rule out there that says someting to the effect of: in any internet (or newsgroup/forum/whaterver) discussion, once the name Hitler (or some other Nazi reference) is invoked, then the discussion has degenerated to a point where no further useful discussion can occur.



    Godwin's Law: Any discussion, regardless of the subject, will eventually reach a point where someone is speciously compared to Hitler or the Nazis.



    When someone invokes Godwin's law, the implication is that once that point has been crossed the discussion has devolved to the point where there's no point in continuing. Obviously, deliberate attempts to shut down a conversation by yelling 'Nazi!' don't invoke this law.



    Quote:

    I seem to remember another set of rules (or observations) about newsgroups about how 90% of everything is crap and nobody can agree which 10% isn't crap and there not being any guarantee that that 10% isn't crap too.



    Sturgeon's Law: 90% of everything is crap.
  • Reply 6 of 7
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    thanks for the sig. reminder murbot. works esp. well in the GB.
  • Reply 7 of 7
    markjomarkjo Posts: 28member
    Thanks! I know that you guys wouldn't let me down. :-)
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