Apr 2

Godwin's Law

Godwin’s Law: There’s so much about the Internet that I don’t know yet.

Godwin’s Law (also Godwin’s Rule of Nazi Analogies) is, in Internet culture, an adage originated in 1990 by Mike Godwin that states:

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one.

There is a tradition in many Usenet newsgroups that once such a comparison is made the thread in which the comment was posted is finished and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever debate was in progress.

by Deane   April 2, 2006 11:34 AM   |

Comments

by Joe,   April 3, 2006 12:06 AM  

I don't like the idea of this 'Godwin' trying to exercise control over what sorts of analogies I use. It's like he's the Hitler of analogies or something. ;-)

by Darren Chamberlain,   April 3, 2006 11:24 AM  

Then there's the corollary that says you cannot intentionally invoke Godwin's Law to end a thread. I can't find a reference, though.

by M E-L,   April 3, 2006 12:30 PM  

Darren -- it's in that Wikipedia article:

"It is considered poor form to raise arbitrarily such a comparison with the motive of ending the thread. There is a widely recognized codicil that any such deliberate invocation of Godwin's Law will be unsuccessful."

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