Forum Message

Topic: Godwin's Law
Posted by: Sara Nathan
Date/Time: 23/09/12 12:41:00

From Wikipedia:

Godwin's law (also known as Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogies or Godwin's Law of Nazi Analogies is an argument made by Mike Godwin in 1990 that has become an Internet adage. It states: "As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1." In other words, Godwin observed that, given enough time, in any online discussion—regardless of topic or scope—someone inevitably makes a comparison to Hitler and the Nazis.

Godwin's law is often cited in online discussions as a deterrent against the use of arguments in the widespread Reductio ad Hitlerum form. The Reductio ad Hitlerum attempts to refute a view because it has been held by Hitler.The rule does not make any statement about whether any particular reference or comparison to Adolf Hitler or the Nazis might be appropriate, but only asserts that the likelihood of such a reference or comparison arising increases as the discussion progresses, irrespective of whether it is appropriate or not. Precisely because such a comparison or reference may sometimes be appropriate, Godwin has argued that overuse of Nazi and Hitler comparisons should be avoided, because it robs the valid comparisons of their impact.[5]

Although in one of its early forms Godwin's law referred specifically to Usenet newsgroup discussions,[6] the law is now often applied to any threaded online discussion, such as forums, chat rooms and blog comment threads, and has been invoked for the inappropriate use of Nazi analogies in articles or speeches.[7]


Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Windscreen washer pests13/09/12 15:06:00 Nicola Howard
   Re:Windscreen washer pests13/09/12 16:08:00 Sara Nathan
      Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests13/09/12 17:41:00 Susan Kelly
         Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests13/09/12 22:23:00 Bob Crossley
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests14/09/12 10:24:00 Dee Cook
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests14/09/12 11:46:00 Peter Preston
   Re:Windscreen washer pests16/09/12 08:13:00 David Wright
      Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests17/09/12 13:00:00 Nicola Howard
         Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests18/09/12 18:54:00 Sara Nathan
   Re:Windscreen washer pests20/09/12 13:13:00 Anna Heath
      Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests20/09/12 19:58:00 Nicola Howard
         Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests21/09/12 10:21:00 Sarah Harris
            Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests22/09/12 02:32:00 Nicola Howard
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests22/09/12 23:43:00 Keith Iddon
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests23/09/12 00:08:00 Nicola Howard
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests23/09/12 09:38:00 Keith Iddon
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests23/09/12 12:16:00 Nicola Howard
               Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests23/09/12 09:43:00 Anna Heath
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests23/09/12 12:26:00 Nicola Howard
                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests23/09/12 13:49:00 Nicola Howard
                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests06/06/13 13:42:00 Diana Oneill
      Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests21/09/12 19:29:00 Paul Grady
         Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests22/09/12 09:48:00 Chris Bell
            Godwin's Law23/09/12 12:41:00 Sara Nathan
               Re:Godwin's Law23/09/12 13:30:00 Nicola Howard
                  Re:Re:Godwin's Law23/09/12 15:43:00 Keith Iddon
                     Re:Re:Re:Godwin's Law23/09/12 16:39:00 Nicola Howard
                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Godwin's Law23/09/12 17:17:00 Keith Iddon
                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Godwin's Law23/09/12 17:45:00 Keith Iddon
                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Godwin's Law23/09/12 18:56:00 Nicola Howard
                                 Re:It was not me Nicola..23/09/12 19:18:00 Keith Iddon
                                    Re:Re:It was not me Nicola..23/09/12 19:54:00 Nicola Howard
                                       Re:Re:Re:It was not me Nicola..23/09/12 20:05:00 Keith Iddon
                                          Re:Re:Re:Re:It was not me Nicola..23/09/12 20:32:00 Nicola Howard
                                       Re:Re:Re:It was not me Nicola..23/09/12 21:34:00 Anna Heath
                                          Re:Re:Re:Re:It was not me Nicola..23/09/12 22:22:00 Nicola Howard
                                             Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It was not me Nicola..23/09/12 22:58:00 Anna Heath
                                             Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It was not me Nicola..24/09/12 00:18:00 Fritz Henry
                                                Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:It was not me Nicola..24/09/12 00:24:00 Fritz Henry
                                                   Windscreen washer pests update 201322/05/13 15:25:00 Sara Nathan
                                                      Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201322/05/13 17:48:00 David Wright
                                                         Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 08:06:00 Carl Tamboli
                                                            Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 09:05:00 Dee Cook
                                                               Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 11:20:00 Chris Bell
                                                                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 12:54:00 Sara Nathan
                                                                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 14:24:00 Alfred Price
                                                                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 16:19:00 Bob Crossley
                                                                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 18:13:00 Jeremy Thorpe-Woods
                                                                  Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 18:27:00 Dee Cook
                                                                     Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 20:48:00 Alfred Price
                                                                        Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 20:51:00 Nikki Howard
                                                                           Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 21:03:00 Alfred Price
                                                                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 21:21:00 Nikki Howard
                                                                              Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Re:Windscreen washer pests update 201323/05/13 21:30:00 Chris Bell
                                                                                 bump for Michael Wale05/07/13 08:04:00 Sara Nathan

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