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ZorbaTHut  1yr ago (text post)   Edited 1yr ago   6975 thread views

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"Open External Links In New Tabs" is inconsistent. I disabled the setting, clicked on an external link (the Forbes link here, if it makes a difference), and it opened in a new tab.

I just tried clicking on http://example.com/ in this message preview, and it respected my settings. (EDIT: clicking it in the message, after posting, opened it in a new tab).

I didn't even realize that existed.

I imagine we're not properly wrapping links; bug filed, may take a bit to get to.

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This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

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Why are you called The Motte?

A motte is a stone keep on a raised earthwork common in early medieval fortifications. More pertinently, it's an element in a rhetorical move called a "Motte-and-Bailey", originally identified by philosopher Nicholas Shackel. It describes the tendency in discourse for people to move from a controversial but high value claim to a defensible but less exciting one upon any resistance to the former. He likens this to the medieval fortification, where a desirable land (the bailey) is abandoned when in danger for the more easily defended motte. In Shackel's words, "The Motte represents the defensible but undesired propositions to which one retreats when hard pressed."

On The Motte, always attempt to remain inside your defensible territory, even if you are not being pressed.


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