# rules of debate on internet discussion boards **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 29, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974 "2003-11-29T22:30:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/1 "2003-11-29T22:30:52Z")
What are the rules of debate and/or argument on internet discussion boards? Are they codified/written anywhere? Do they differ from board to board and how do you discern the specific rules ? ---
**Author:** ![lucwarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19adc/32.png) [@lucwarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lucwarm)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/2 "2003-11-29T22:36:53Z")
I’m aware of only one general rule of internet debate: If you try to support your position by associating your opponents’ views with Hitler, the Nazis, or the Holocaust, you automatically lose. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/3 "2003-11-29T22:41:17Z")
Not quite. It’s that you don’t _win_ until you’ve reduced your opponent to comparing you to Hitler. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/4 "2003-11-29T23:31:26Z")
That’s Godwin’s Law, I believe. ---
**Author:** ![Ace309](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ace309/32/1050_2.png) [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2003, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/5 "2003-11-29T23:37:09Z")
Just for posterity, **county** , I should point out that there really aren’t rules of debate on the internet. What protocols there are vary from board to board; it’s generally kosher to ask for a cite, but beyond that it’s just iffy. One board that I argue at fairly often has “victory conditions” that include browbeating the other guy into leaving; that doesn’t work here on the SDMB. Really, it just depends on the community that visits the board. ---
**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/6 "2003-11-30T00:01:11Z")
Use the same rules you’d use in real life. Logic, civility, and so on. Also, read these: > **[Fallacies - Nizkor](https://www.nizkor.org/fallacies/)** > > Matteo Dell’Amico provides this feature in Italian Index Ad Hominem \[page not ready\] Ad Hominem Tu Quoque \[page not ready\] Appeal to Authority \[page not ready\] Appeal to Belief \[page not ready\] Appeal to Common Practice \[page not ready\] Appeal... ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/7 "2003-11-30T00:30:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Indefatigable \* > \*\*Use the same rules you’d use in real life. > \*\* Oops, there goes… ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/8 "2003-11-30T01:42:34Z")
Godwin’s Law: “As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.” There is a tradition in many groups that, once this occurs, that thread is over, and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever argument was in progress. That was from [here](http://info.astrian.net/jargon/terms/g/Godwin_s_Law.html). An FAQ on Godwin’s Law is here: [http://www.killfile.org/~tskirvin/faqs/godwin.html](http://www.killfile.org/~tskirvin/faqs/godwin.html) The original motivation of Godwin’s Law is posted here, in an article by Mike Godwin: [http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.10/godwin.if.html](http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/2.10/godwin.if.html) ---
**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/9 "2003-11-30T01:52:43Z")
Gyan9: there goes what? ---
**Author:** ![Measure\_for\_Measure](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/measure_for_measure/32/557_2.png) [@Measure\_for\_Measure](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Measure_for_Measure)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/10 "2003-11-30T01:52:59Z")
Permit me to extend this tangent. Benford’s law of controversy: ``` "Passion is inversely proportional to the amount of real information available." ``` ---
**Author:** ![II\_Gyan\_II](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@II\_Gyan\_II](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/II_Gyan_II)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/11 "2003-11-30T02:46:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Indefatigable \* > \*\*Gyan9: there goes what? \*\* If you need to ask, your friends and my friends are not alike, putting it mildy… ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 3:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/12 "2003-11-30T03:06:08Z")
Thank you all very much. Once again this board comes thru. ---
**Author:** ![Indefatigable](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9d8465/32.png) [@Indefatigable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Indefatigable)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rules-of-debate-on-internet-discussion-boards/215974/13 "2003-11-30T04:01:13Z")
Gyan9: Really, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Help… ^^;;