“An ad hominem argument consists of replying to an argument or factual claim by attacking or appealing to a characteristic or belief of the person making the argument or claim, rather than by addressing the substance of the argument or producing evidence against the claim.” (Wikipedia)
A filibuster
The bozo filter makes freedom of speech possible in online communications. Freedom of speech requires the freedom to ignore, the freedom to not have to listen. Diversity flourishes best when individual choice is the foundation of the conversation. This weekend’s strong responses to a filibuster made me dream about having a bozo filter for my online communities. With a bozo filter, conversation moves forward smoothly because it can route around the interruption. Bozo filters are a good technical implementation of the philosophy that makes the internet work. It might be best to think of the conversation that went haywire as an example of a flaw in the technology.
