Fisking.

Discussion in 'Free Thoughts' started by Challenger78, Jun 19, 2008.

  1. Challenger78 Valued Senior Member

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    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisking

    The internet theme of arguing this way, has been criticized as evasive and hypocritical...

    Just came across it while doing research on Iran.
     
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  3. invert_nexus Ze do caixao Valued Senior Member

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    Interesting.
    That's typical post response etiquette here at sci. Amongst those with the attention span, that is.

    I never knew it had a name.

    It does, of course, have its drawbacks. It is easy to get lost in the line by line and lose point of the whole thread. Losing the forest for the trees. But, it is effective at ironing out wrinkles in one's debate and that is, perhaps, one of the most useful functions of internet discussion. Sharpening one's mind.

    However, I think that it is possible to 'fisk' without losing context if one is capable of keeping the whole in mind and using the quoted selection only as a means of drawing attention to a particular talking point. It helps the discussion in that it makes people feel involved. Drawn into the conversation because they were specifically replied to.

    I, of course, often reply to responses to other's quotes because I feel that the named quote doesn't imply ownership (depending on context) but merely points to the context to which the response is being made.

    Fisking.

    You know, at first I thought it was going to be some type of homosexual activity.
    (Now watch this thread be victim to an attempted hijacking to homosexual acts which defy description....)
     
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