Close, but no cigar.


Six years ago I wrote about my passive participation on a list devoted to Arab-Jewish dialogue. Even though the participants on this list were ostensibly interested in furthering the dialogue, rather than the argument, tempers were always flaring. Simply because of how easy it might have been in this context to call up Godwin's law, this list wasn't a very logical place to find it. If people want to yell back and forth, there are easier ways of doing this than joining a list devoted to dialogue. Of course I've encountered heated argument in various discussions and lists I've visited, but even though name calling can be a pleasant spectator sport, I usually don't hang around if I sense that things are developing in that direction.



Go to: How to lose an online argument.