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PaperclipPerfector  3mo ago (text post)   3384 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for January 30, 2026

Be advised: this thread is not for serious in-depth discussion of weighty topics (we have a link for that), this thread is not for anything Culture War related. This thread is for Fun. You got jokes? Share 'em. You got silly questions? Ask 'em.

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Are there any other places to discuss politics, not being a fan of Twitter or its clones due to limited word count restrictions, or Reddit?

I honestly prefer the old school forums, instead of the corporate nature of the internet nowadays

Data Secrets Lox is a rationalist style old school forum. In terms of places to discuss politics though, the perennial problem is coordinating intelligent people in the same place. The rationalist forums are the best I've found.

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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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