The Rules

[Brian Cronin]

These are The Rules for the Community Forum at CBR (most courtesy of outgoing moderator, Tom, and always subject to modification):

* 1. Be civil (within reason. You'll be notified if you step out of bounds).

* 2. No profanity in thread titles. Not even clever little runarounds like "sh*t" and "f*ck". I don't want newbies stopping by and getting a bad impression of the place based on a couple of thread titles.

* 3. Profanity is allowed in a post but it's all about context. Gratuitous profanity, sexually graphic language, or profanity as an insult will be deleted and may lead to a banning

* 4. No links to porn or sites with sexual content. No attachments of same. This is a bannable offense.

* 5. No spam. No selling or advertising for the purposes of making money. This includes posting collections for sale or linking to an online auction. These will be deleted. Repeat offenders will be banned.

* 6. Threads designed simply for one-word responses aren't allowed. In a similar vein, posts that consist of nothing more than "Good post." or "I agree." (known as me-too posts) are frowned upon. They add almost nothing to a conversation. If you agree, state why.

* 7. When it comes to debating, stick to the topic and don't start questioning your opponent's morals or intelligence. Focus on another poster's arguments, not the other poster. Insults will be deleted. Repeat offenders will face a potential banning.

* 8. We don't allow consistently inflammatory comments intended to spark blowback. We'll warn you about your behavior and if it continues, we likely will ban you. Our best judgment is the determiner of whether a post was designed to inflame.

* 9. If you see a post you suspect to be intentionally inflammatory, report it. If we agree, we'll handle it. If we disagree, then you will have to deal with it. Do not engage them. Engaging them might very well lead to a banning for you rather than them.

* 10. Questions about the decisions of the moderators are to be sent to them privately.

* 11. Don't start too many threads on the same day. Sometimes posters (especially newbies) get all excited and wind up posting 3, 4, even 5 threads a day. Remember, each new thread pushes someone else's off the front page. Communities thrive when its members respect each other. In a similar vein, please try not to start new threads if there's already an existing thread dealing with a similar topic.

* 12. Don't start a thread with just a link to an article. Add some commentary of your own. There's no set limit, just add something of substance besides just a link - three sentences is a good start. I will make an exception if it is just a "wacky" news story posted to amuse people, not to spark any discussion.

* 13. When you want to quote an article, it is best for you not to post the whole thing. We run afoul of copyright issues when you do that. Instead, just post a link. You can quote specific portions from the article to help make points, but please do not post the whole thing.

* 14. There are certain topics that CBR is just not qualified to handle. These topics include talk of violent acts or contemplation of suicide. If someone posts a thread on these topics, we will post the requisite information (hotline numbers, etc.) and close the thread.

* 15. No "livejournal" type threads. Feel free to tell us what is going on in your life, but tell us in RITA's or in the "Update on your life right now." Basically, if you want to do a livejournal-esque thing, just use livejournal. Nothing wrong with livejournal.

* 16. No posting just to up your post count. No announcements as to how high your post count is (WooHoo! I have 1000 posts!)

* 17. No pin-up threads.

* 18. Don't resurrect a years-old thread unless you're following up with relevant information or adding something substantial to the discussion.

*19. Similar to spam for selling things, please don't constantly post threads promoting your blog/website. One or two is okay, but we don't need new threads every time you do an update.

*20. Follow the simple rule in this video.

[Pól Rua]

This amused me, and it is sorta appropriate. -BC

(as originally introduced to me by jessecuster3, formerly known as jessecuster2)

The Bullshit Argument Detector

I do a lot of arguing online... and off. It's fun. But I get pissed off with bullshit arguments.
Now, thanks to my the ever-educational jessecuster2, one of my Rita's compatriots, I have this... the all-purpose Bullshit Argument Detector.
Just stand the Argument you suspect may be bullshit and see if it matches any of these...

Ad Hominem:
This is the best logical fallacy, and if you disagree with me, well, you suck.

Appeal To False Authority:
Your logical fallacies aren't logical fallacies at all because Einstein said so. Einstein also said that this one is better.

Appeal To Emotion:
See, my mom, she had to work three jobs on account of my dad leaving and refusing to support us, and me with my elephantitis and all, all our money went to doctor's bills so I never was able to get proper schooling. So really, if you look deep down inside yourself, you'll see that my fallacy here is the best.

Appeal to Fear:
If you don't accept Appeal to Fear as the greatest fallacy, then THE TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON. Do you want that on your conscience, that THE TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON because you were a pansy who didn't really think that Appeal to Fear was worth voting for, and you wanted to vote for something else? Of course not, and neither would the people you let die because THE TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON.

Appeal To Force:
If you don't agree that Appeal to Force is the greatest logical fallacy, I will kick your ass.

Appeal To Majority:
Most people think that this fallacy is the best, so clearly it is.

Appeal To Novelty:
The Appeal to Novelty's a new fallacy, and it blows all your crappy old fallacies out the water! All the cool kids are using it: it's OBVIOUSLY the best.

Appeal To Numbers:
Millions think that this fallacy is the best, so clearly it is.

Appeal To Tradition:
We've used Appeal to Tradition for centuries: how can it possibly be wrong?

Argumentum Ad Nauseam:
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.
Argumentum ad nauseam is the best logical fallacy.

Begging The Question:
Circular reasoning is the best fallacy and is capable of proving anything.
Since it can prove anything, it can obviously prove the above statement.
Since it can prove the first statement, it must be true.
Therefore, circular reasoning is the best fallacy and is capable of proving anything.

Burden Of Proof:
Can you prove that Burden of Proof isn't the best logical fallacy?

Complex Question:
Have you stopped beating your wife and saying Complex Question isn't the best fallacy?

False Dilemma:
I've found that either you think False Dilemma is the best fallacy, or you're a terrorist.

False Premise:
All of the other fallacies are decent, but clearly not the best as they didn't come from my incredibly large and sexy brain.

Gambler's Fallacy:
In all the previous talks about this subject, Gambler's Fallacy won, so I just know the Gambler's Fallacy is going to win this time!

Guilt By Association:
You know who else preferred those other logical fallacies?
*(insert pictures of Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot here)*

Non Sequitur:
Non Sequitur is the best fallacy because none of my meals so far today have involved asparagus.

Post Hoc/False Cause:
Since I've started presuming that correlation equals causation, violent crime has gone down 54%.

Red Herring:
They say that to prove your fallacy is the best requires extraordinary evidence, because it's an extraordinary claim. Well, I'd like to note that "Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence" is itself an extraordinary claim.

Relativism:
Well maybe all those other fallacies are the best for you, but to me, the relativist fallacy is the greatest logical fallacy ever.

Slippery Slope:
If you don't like Slippery Slope arguments, you will do poorly in class, drop out of school, commit crimes, go to prison, and die of AIDS.

Special Pleading:
I know that everyone is posting about their favorite fallacies, but Special Pleading is out-and-out the best, so it should just win with no contest.

...presto. Now we can end the fighting and get back to what the internet is REALLY all about.
Porn.