"Global Warming? Wheaton's Law" Topic

You were asked – TMP link

Global Warming or Not?

26% said "Discuss what you want in an appropriate board and follow Wheaton's Law."

24% said "Allow discussion of global warming, true or not, only in the Blue Fez."

21% said "Ban ALL discussion regarding global warming, true or not, as this is a gaming forum."

Now that is an indecisive poll. You might get an answer if you structure it differently.

What is wheatons law?

Ok, googled it and I think just about any one who who tries to create doubts about the fact of climate change is probably in violation of wheaton's Law. I can think of no other motivation they might have except a desire to be contrary for the sake of it.

"What is wheatons law?"

Coined by actor, writer and podcaster Wil Wheaton (Stand By Me, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Big Bang Theory, On the Tabletop), Wil Wheaton's Law is essentially a form of the ancient "Silver Rule," rephrased in a modern, albeit crude, vernacular. Literally: "Don't be a ."

Actually, plenty of people have doubts not about climate change but over the claim that it is the result of human activity, and/or that it is severe or irreversible, and/or that it can be alleviated or corrected by current political and economic proposals put forth by others. Such arguments can certainly be made in the areas of science, politics, economics, and technology without doing so "just to be contrary." I'm not speaking as to the soundness or unsoundness of any such argument, merely that discussion can be had without anyone violating Wheaton's Law or demeaning the character, motivations or intelligence of those on either side. Unfortunately, that rarely happens on the Internet.

While such arguments can be made about causes and levels without invoking wheatons law it has been my experience that it is always the climate change outright denial group who will violate it. The very stance seems to attract those whose sole goal is to "own the liberals" in a debate although they would probably not use such a polite term.

I suspect any efforts by this group to have such conversation protected or deemed equivalent to an equally scientific view is a futile attempt to appear to be rational and hide that they are really the crackpots who get their info from InfoWars. Just being part of a controversy gives them some level of propaganda power that they do not deserve.

We don't give credence to flat earthers, or holocaust denial. I don't think they deserve any better treatment than those views. I certainly don't want to see them flagrantly abusing decorum in a forum, but at the same time, I don't want their view to garner any sort of legitimacy because of the no politics rule. Controversy is their goal, because it confers a sense of legitimacy.

We don't give credence to flat earthers, or holocaust denial. I don't think they deserve any better treatment than those views. I certainly don't want to see them flagrantly abusing decorum in a forum, but at the same time, I don't want their view to garner any sort of legitimacy because of the no politics rule. Controversy is their goal, because it confers a sense of legitimacy.

Don't get your hopes up. Even simply wishing Charles Darwin happy birthday degenerate in to +1,600 post.

TMP link

Attempts to get that any form of "Creation science" banned form TMP went nowhere.

Interesting thing in that of the 6 or so guys you were speaking with on the last 2 pages or so, you are the only one with an active account left.

By the way, If you ever get to the St Paul Irish festival in August look me up, i'll be the metalsmith from New Orleans.. I wouldn't mind a pint and a game of AoS.

Well Bill it seems some want to sanitize your site in spite of the poll.

Plenty of people also have facts about global warming that show it isn't happening like the computer models predict. They wish to present those facts, not to be contrary, but to increase the general level of knowledge or discussion about the topic. But they get labeled as "crackpots who get their info from InfoWars" and give up because one or both sides generally violate Wheaton's Law.

We should talk to our various governments and see if we can't get Wheaton's Law passed as actual legislation. Incarceration rates would skyrocket (note to self, invest in privatized prison services companies).

While such arguments can be made about causes and levels without invoking wheatons law it has been my experience that it is always the climate change outright denial group who will violate it.

Actually, read the discussions on these boards.

While there are ad honinem attacks and appeals to authority against AGW-politics (i.e., Making a recommendation about what to do about something is always political. Recommendations are about "should"; science is about "is". Also, recommendations always include a morality based value judgement system.), when I try to discuss the science behind the claims, I get ad hominem attacks, simple denial, and strawman attack responses.

By the way, If you ever get to the St Paul Irish festival in August look me up, i'll be the metalsmith from New Orleans.. I wouldn't mind a pint and a game of AoS.

Love to see you.

Contact me elliottwjames@comcast.net

Wait a minute lets not confuse facts and climate change as it is discussed today, that's apples and oranges. Climate change…OK,…man caused, catastrophic, global, I think there is a lot of room for discussion. But I vote with the 21%, this IS a gaming forum, not a political forum, and pretty much any discussion of climate change today, if nothing else, is, or soon will be, political.

Wheaton's Law – 1