Gentle Reminder

I just need to remind our brain trust (i.e., readers who comment) of the basic rule around here, which is, "No ad hominem." I'm not trying to control what you say in comments—you can say anything you like and I'll read it—merely attempting to explain why I've edited and disallowed so many comments in the past couple of days.

Ad Hominem [Latin, To the person.] A term used in debate to denote an argument made personally against an opponent, instead of against the opponent's argument.

Gracias,

—T.O.P.'s Minor Majordomo and Sentinel Seneschal

Comments

[michael]

Fine with me...it's your blog.

I told you before about Michael Kinsley's experiment. They allowed un-edited editorials on the newspaper's website. They mostly got semi-literate rants.

[Ben Marks]

My first impulse was a response filled with _ad hominem_ attacks. But it wasn't that funny.

Ben

[David Bennett]

In the published posts the nearest I have seen to an ad hominem comment was when someone called someone else's comment inane.

[Marc Rochkind]

As simple test one can run to tell if a post (or email message, or whatever) is an ad hominem attack is to see if the words "you" or "your" appear.

It's not impossible to make such an attack without those words, but it's rare.

Of course, the presence of "you" or "your" doesn't mean it is such an attack, just that their absence probably means that it is not. Example: "Mike, I like your columns. You really seem to get it." While this is a comment about the man and not what he said, it's acceptable because it is positive.

--Marc

[Greg Smith]

Principals before Personalities.
If followed, most trouble dries up and blows away with the first breeze before it gets a chance to inflate with hot air.....

best wishes

[pat janisch]

Mike- this is one reason your site stands out from all the rest. Your readership (mostly!) appreciates it. Please keep up the good work.

Pat

[Jason]

Now see, this is what makes TOP so great. I am even learning Latin phrases! As always, TOP is a class act Mike, and disallow anything that does not contribute to discussion or raise the level of debate. Now, if only I could get people to comment on mine! :)

[Walt]

I thought that was grits, thanks for the definition. Sometimes us red neck braintrust types need correcting.

morio margino sine

[Mike Johnston]

"morio margino sine"

Walt,

?

All I get from that is "to die without notes in the margin"....

Mike J.

[Walt]

It's supposed to be moroni
hehehehe. My latin translator is broken anyway. It's supposed to be "Idiots without borders" an organization I probably should head up! hehehehe

[Ctein]

Dear Mike,

I like your translation-- it made me think of Fermat's Last Theorem.

pax / Ctein