How to be right on the Internet

We all write things online, disagree with people, and try to put arguments forward. The best way to get to the core of a discussion, or to rot it to the core, is to understand the fallacies commonly used in debates. With real examples, come and get an overview of how bad arguments can be construed, and how to sound really cold when telling people they’re wrong.

Transcript

1. SerialSeb @serialseb https://serialseb.com Also referred to as Sebastien Lambla
2. Microsoft is Secretly ran by space monekys from saturn. CharLes simonyi went to space on a Soyuz, so it’s obvious they all have meetings up there Sebastien L. from Peterborough
3. Microsoft is Secretly ran by space monekys from saturn. CharLes simonyi went to space on a soyuz, so it’s obvious they have meetings up there Sebastien L. from Peterborough ANECTDOTAL FALLACY
4. Space monkeys, of course not. That’s just obviously ridiculous. Steve B. from Redmond
5. Space monkeys, of course not. That’s just obviously ridiculous. Steve B. from Redmond ARGUMENTUM AD LAPIDEM
6. Show me that monkeys from Saturn are not running Microsoft, I dare you! Sebastien L. from Peterborough
7. Show me that monkeys from Saturn are not running Microsoft, I dare you! Sebastien L. from Peterborough ONUS PROBANDI
8. What kind of shoes are those monkeys wearing? You don’t even know what shoes they wear, because there is no monkey! Miguel D. in transit to Redmond
9. What kind of shoes are those monkeys wearing? You don’t even know what shoes they wear, because there is no monkey! Miguel D. in transit to Redmond CONTINUUM FALLACY
10. MS-DOS was released in August 1981. Only 3 weeks later, the Voyager probe reached Saturn. Is that not proof enough? Sebastien L. from Peterborough
11. MS-DOS was released in August 1981. Only 3 weeks later, the Voyager probe reached Saturn. Is that not proof enough? Sebastien L. from Peterborough POST HOC ERGO PROPTER HOC
12. Everyone knows I programmed Voyager in COBOL Don B. from Redmond
13. Everyone knows I programmed Voyager in COBOL Don B. from Redmond ARGUMENTUM AD POPULUM
14. I’m not saying those Microsoft executives are not from Saturn, but we’ve not seen their birth certificates, I’m just saying, what are they hiding? Donald T. from B&Q in Mexico
15. I’m not saying those Microsoft executives are not from Saturn, but we’ve not seen their birth certificates, I’m just saying, what are they hiding? Donald T. from B&Q in Mexico FURTIVE FALLACY
16. Let’s be serious here. Those questions are not serious enough to be worth of our time. Written from my blackberry Hillary C. from the Apple store
17. Let’s be serious here. Those questions are not serious enough to be worth of our time. Written from my blackberry Hillary C. from the Apple store POOH-POOH
18. You just want to impose your views of space monkeys on the world. You know who else did that? Hitler. That’s right. Reddit
19. You just want to impose your views of space monkeys on the world. You know who else did that? Hitler. That’s right. Reddit ARGUMENTUM AD HITLERUM
20. Why so mean? Anonymous
21. Why so mean? Anonymous RED HERRING