When Does A Good Debate Become A Flame War?

[ThreeWords]

Because I have trouble distinguishing the two on this forum sometimes.

Somethimes you can go into a thread and it will be called an 'arguement' or a 'debate'. Sometimes, however, people will be shouting 'Flame! Flame!' and a mod will lock it. I was wondering what you think is the boundary between a flame war and a debate, because to me they seem very similar.

I think it just has to do with the topic. If it's about some highly moral thing (euthanasia, underage *whatever*) then it becomes a debate, but if it's about something less interesting then people will decide that it's slowly decended into a flame war. Maybe it's all just about people's perception?

FLAME! FLAME! just kidding. I think it's when topics just becon a "Fuck you!" Like religon is an easy way to start a flame war.

Hey, fuck you! I believe in religion, so that means you're an arrogant bigot with no friends!

OT: See, like that.

 

[DrunkWithPower]

Because I have trouble distinguishing the two on this forum sometimes.

Somethimes you can go into a thread and it will be called an 'arguement' or a 'debate'. Sometimes, however, people will be shouting 'Flame! Flame!' and a mod will lock it. I was wondering what you think is the boundary between a flame war and a debate, because to me they seem very similar.

I think it just has to do with the topic. If it's about some highly moral thing (euthanasia, underage *whatever*) then it becomes a debate, but if it's about something less interesting then people will decide that it's slowly decended into a flame war. Maybe it's all just about people's perception?

FLAME! FLAME! just kidding. I think it's when topics just becon a "Fuck you!" Like religon is an easy way to start a flame war.

Hey, fuck you! I believe in religion, so that means you're an arrogant bigot with no friends!

OT: See, like that.

Exactly (I would continue the fake flame war but I have a feeling there is a hammer behind us).

 

[Cama Zots]

Any time politics, choice of music, homosexuality, fanboys, trekkies+star wars fans, trolls, and furries become involved. If you put all those together, add some memes and some porn you get 4chan.

 

[ThreeWords]

Exactly (I would continue the fake flame war but I have a feeling there is a hammer behind us).

Ah, the mods won't mind, they know we're just kidding. I hope. On second thoughts, yeah, let's stop

 

[Sightless Wisdom]

Any time politics, choice of music, homosexuality, fanboys, trekkies+star wars fans, trolls, and furries become involved. If you put all those together, add some memes and some porn you get 4chan.

Yeah that pretty much sums it up.

 

[Pimppeter2]

When people won't listen to the other side

 

[Wilbot666]

But oh what a F%^&ing ugly flower! Gooche is hilarious though

 

[Jurassic Rob]

When the fanboys come out to play, is when the thread becomes a flame war!

Damn you fanboys!

 

[nate30030]

XBox 360 is 133t then allz conslszz!!! Oh, and jews, muslims, and every other religion can suck christianity's NUTSACK! But not as much as how Palin is SOOOOO awesome and is going to win 2012!! Talking about 2012, You're all gonna die while I go in a rocket ship and come back to PEE ON YOUR FUCKING BODIES!

aaahh..... now that's a good example ^_^

 

[NeutralMunchHotel]

Ad
hominem

I attempted to read through that, but I'm tired and big Wikipedian words hurt my poor brain.

An ad hominem argument is one that retorts upon another person's argument by disqualifying it on account of the person making the argument. Example:

"Jesus is probably real, because of X, Y, etc"
"Yeah that's just what I'd expect, coming from a sheep like you" <-- ad hominem.

Yeah, the wikipedia page is awfully complex for such a simple concept XD Anyway. The more you know!

I think that was getting at, but you put it in a way that us norms can understand!

 

[yosophat]

When you put it on the Internet.