Arguing on the Escapist

[Torrasque]

Good evening my fellow Escapists. I was at my brother's house all day today (easter dinner and whatnot) and celebrating my birthday all of yesterday, so I have been unable to write my last essay due 11:59:59 tonight (sunday). So I have an hour to write this thing, and I picked my topic out of the list:
What kinds of argumentation have you observed when there are disputes between members? Is logical argument favoured? Do disputes descend into name-calling?
For discussion, please just answer the question. I'd love to see what you have to say and try to plug that into my paper, but I am afraid I just don't have the time. I'll write my essay and come back and see what you have to say

For my essay, I plan on saying that arguments that follow a good logical structure are preferred over mindless babble and obvious trolling, and that many arguments degrade into a "well your point there doesn't make any sense at all". Obviously, this is not 4chan or gamefaqs, so arguments usually don't degrade into outright name calling. I'd like to think that you can come to The Escapist to have a rational argument about any topic; its just that some topics are inflammatory (like religion of course).

 

[Forgetitnow344]

Arguments totally degrade into outright name-calling on here a lot. An easy way to deal with this essay is to just Google logical fallacies. Logical arguments don't ever happen within groups. It becomes about who can yell the loudest. The most common fallacies I've seen on here are strawman arguments, non sequiturs, and ad hominem.

 

[Spambot 3000]

I see arguments consist of snide and/or sarcastic comments more than anything. Sometimes they don't, but they generally do. I guess because if you just flat-out call someone a name, you're breaking the rules of the forum.
Smart-arse comments are still a sign that an argument is degrading anyway, no matter what logic is involved.

 

[Torrasque]

Phew, fastest Essay I've ever written =|
While I was looking for threads and people to quote as examples of reasonable discussion, I surprised myself by finding reasonable discussions going on in the Religion and Politics section. I've been a part of some of those threads, but I didn't think they were mostly so calm.
Hell, the "Master Chief vs. Space Marines" thread that recently plagued the OT boards was more inflammatory! But then again, vs. threads are always rife with flame wars...

 

[wintercoat]

Phew, fastest Essay I've ever written =|
While I was looking for threads and people to quote as examples of reasonable discussion, I surprised myself by finding reasonable discussions going on in the Religion and Politics section. I've been a part of some of those threads, but I didn't think they were mostly so calm.
Hell, the "Master Chief vs. Space Marines" thread that recently plagued the OT boards was more inflammatory! But then again, vs. threads are always rife with flame wars...

That's nothing. Go read the Hepler Mode thread. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.362676-In-Defense-of-Hepler-Mode] Now there's some good ad hominem throwing. Or better yet, the Mutants and Masses thread, [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.358098-The-Big-Picture-Mutants-and-Masses] which, to start things off all oily and juicy, is sparked by an ad hominem! Flamebait at it's best!

 

[Torrasque]

Phew, fastest Essay I've ever written =|
While I was looking for threads and people to quote as examples of reasonable discussion, I surprised myself by finding reasonable discussions going on in the Religion and Politics section. I've been a part of some of those threads, but I didn't think they were mostly so calm.
Hell, the "Master Chief vs. Space Marines" thread that recently plagued the OT boards was more inflammatory! But then again, vs. threads are always rife with flame wars...

That's nothing. Go read the Hepler Mode thread. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.362676-In-Defense-of-Hepler-Mode] Now there's some good ad hominem throwing. Or better yet, the Mutants and Masses thread, [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.358098-The-Big-Picture-Mutants-and-Masses] which, to start things off all oily and juicy, is sparked by an ad hominem! Flamebait at it's best!

A thread following one of Movie Bob's analysis videos, getting out of hand? NO WAY! I breezed through the Hepler Mode thread and oh my... I still think the arguments we have here on teh Escapist are better than other boards, there are just those few topics that get out of hand instantaneously...

 

[wintercoat]

Phew, fastest Essay I've ever written =|
While I was looking for threads and people to quote as examples of reasonable discussion, I surprised myself by finding reasonable discussions going on in the Religion and Politics section. I've been a part of some of those threads, but I didn't think they were mostly so calm.
Hell, the "Master Chief vs. Space Marines" thread that recently plagued the OT boards was more inflammatory! But then again, vs. threads are always rife with flame wars...

That's nothing. Go read the Hepler Mode thread. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.362676-In-Defense-of-Hepler-Mode] Now there's some good ad hominem throwing. Or better yet, the Mutants and Masses thread, [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/6.358098-The-Big-Picture-Mutants-and-Masses] which, to start things off all oily and juicy, is sparked by an ad hominem! Flamebait at it's best!

A thread following one of Movie Bob's analysis videos, getting out of hand? NO WAY! I breezed through the Hepler Mode thread and oh my... I still think the arguments we have here on teh Escapist are better than other boards, there are just those few topics that get out of hand instantaneously...

Yes, but it's a thread about the Mass Effect 3 ending. The hate is enough to power a small nation. Compared to the MovieBob thread, the Hepler thread is tame as hell.

Speaking of Mass Effect 3, I give you the pièce de résistance, a Zeel thread. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.358917-Mass-Effect-3-Went-Too-Far-Now?page=1] Or basically the worst of the worst when it comes to flamebait threads. I'm pretty sure they could teach classes off of that thread.

 

[Torrasque]

Speaking of Mass Effect 3, I give you the pièce de résistance, a Zeel thread. [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.358917-Mass-Effect-3-Went-Too-Far-Now?page=1] Or basically the worst of the worst when it comes to flamebait threads. I'm pretty sure they could teach classes off of that thread.

That guy came to Escapist just to troll and he was treated as such. I'm amazed that he was able to spark as much rage and hate in his time here, but the last few weeks have been rather "interesting" when it comes to Mass Effect 3, no matter where you go on the internet.

That thread makes any thread on gamefaqs, where everyone is deliberately trolling, seem reasonable.

 

[TimeLord]

If you can't discuss an opinion with another member without resorting to name calling. You won't last very long at all.

When I'm discussing a topic I feel strongly about I argue as if the person I'm talking to is right in front of me IRL. That theory has worked for 4 years so far.

 

[Torrasque]

When I'm discussing a topic I feel strongly about I argue as if the person I'm talking to is right in front of me IRL.

Thats what I try to do on Escapist, but I sometimes forget myself =|
As a mod (and someone that has 22k posts) would you say that most people here on Escapist argue reasonably?

 

[TimeLord]

When I'm discussing a topic I feel strongly about I argue as if the person I'm talking to is right in front of me IRL.

Thats what I try to do on Escapist, but I sometimes forget myself =|
As a mod (and someone that has 22k posts) would you say that most people here on Escapist argue reasonably?

Usually it's all pretty civil, but then you get a thread or a couple of users that just act like 5 year olds in a school playground because the Internet is between them.

If you could actually punch people through the Internet, it would make the Internet in general a whole lot nicer place to be in.

 

[ResonanceSD]

If you can't discuss an opinion with another member without resorting to name calling. You won't last very long at all.

When I'm discussing a topic I feel strongly about I argue as if the person I'm talking to is right in front of me IRL. That theory has worked for 4 years so far.

Good suggestion. I recently went slightly mad on here at the end of last year. Should have used that as a guide