wedrifid comments on How can I argue without people online and not come out feeling bad? - Less Wrong

3 Post author: wantstojoinin 01 June 2012 02:24PM

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Comment author: Kaj_Sotala 01 June 2012 04:19:50PM *  7 points [-]

When you argue online you will not change anyone's mind with the argument, ever.

[citation needed]

I've changed my mind arguing online, and so have plenty of others I know.

Comment author: wedrifid 01 June 2012 10:13:03PM 5 points [-]

[citation needed]

I've changed my mind arguing online, and so have plenty of others I know.

Rhetorical Use Of "[citation needed]" Considered Harmful. (By me.)

Given that your response refers to evidence that is more than sufficient to flat out invalidate the excessively general claim in question a citation wouldn't even help, never mind 'be necessary' - it'd just make the source cited look bad too.

One of many preferred alternatives to "[citation needed]" in such cases is "No, that's bullshit!"

(I like citations. I like asking for citations. I sometimes accept demands for citations to be appropriate. I would like citation requests to be statements that make it likely for citations to be provided when they are useful. This makes usages as a rhetorical device my enemy.)