Reply #115: Godwin's Law [View All]

[canetoad]

Usenet, the grubby underbelly of the internet, populated by extremists and nutters of every persuasion, has spawned Godwin's Law (also Godwin's Rule of Nazi Analogie). It states:

"As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

"There is a tradition in many newsgroups and other Internet discussion forums that once such a comparison is made, the thread is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically "lost" whatever debate was in progress." (Wikipedia)

I would like to propose a variation to Godwin's Law; that whoever mentions tin-foil first has effectively finished all rational discussion in the thread and is considered the loser.