# Ways of making a point that make you instantly lose interest in a thread

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-making-a-point-that-make-you-instantly-lose-interest-in-a-thread/537738>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [April 29, 2010, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-making-a-point-that-make-you-instantly-lose-interest-in-a-thread/537738 "2010-04-29T12:57:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 4

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**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-making-a-point-that-make-you-instantly-lose-interest-in-a-thread/537738/61 "2010-05-07T01:12:22Z")

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> [@GargoyleWB](#):
>
> “I insist on a retraction or acknowledgment of the sub-sub-counterpoint made on page 16 of this thread. Until you do so it is futile to continue”

Oh hell yes, especially when the acknowledgement or counter-point has already been made and they’re unwilling to recognize that you actually addressed it (but keep pushing for you to do so), most usually because you didn’t give the answer they want.

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**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-making-a-point-that-make-you-instantly-lose-interest-in-a-thread/537738/62 "2010-05-07T01:17:22Z")

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This:

“Bush/Obama/Some politician did X.”  
Someone responds:

“Well, Bush/Obama/some other politician did X back in the day and you didn’t seem to care then. HYPOCRITE!”  
That irks me so bad I click out of the thread immediately. There is one person who does it all the time and now there is another whom I used to like who has started this habit, too. Who cares? Can we discuss the topic at hand? And then you can start another thread about your issue?  
Grrr.

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**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\
**Post date:** [May 7, 2010, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ways-of-making-a-point-that-make-you-instantly-lose-interest-in-a-thread/537738/63 "2010-05-07T01:30:10Z")

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> [@spark240](#):
>
> One need not _be_ a braking system engineer to know this, just as one need not be an expert in any particular field, necessarily, to be _right_ on a particular point. Therefore “expertise” and credentials aren’t the point. (That’s _my_ point.) If you happen to both both an expert _and_ right, you should be able to readily document this with _evidence on the point at hand_, which is much more relevant than your credentials, and better reading than any “Long laborious justification of expertise.” See what I mean?

My point is this: I can have real world experience. I can make a statement. The burden of proof can extend to several hundred words. All to be undone by:

“That just doesn’t make any _sence_! I don’t think you have any clue.”

It’s the burden of proof that chaps my hide.

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