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PaperclipPerfector  8mo ago (text post)   2341 thread views

Friday Fun Thread for August 25, 2023

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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Can someone clarify what a block does on this site? I can see that someone has blocked me (the red person symbol appears next to their name). Am I just banned from replying to their comments?

You are allowed to reply to their comments.

When you do, you'll get a little banner warning you that you'll be held to a "higher standard." This is because the main effect of a block is that the blocker can't see your comments. But everyone else can, and probably won't know why the other guy isn't responding. So...don't abuse it to make them look bad, and you'll be fine.

It also keeps you from pinging theblocker, and I can only assume it disables direct messaging.

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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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