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I don't think this kind of response is useful. Haven't we learned that dismissing or insulting people isn't going to change their opinions but rather just push

• epistasis 10y ago
  It's tough to come up with the most useful response to what happened here. With time, I've come to see deadcast's response as one of the more useful. It's accurate, and honest, but you have to read a ton of pdx's comments and familiarize yourself with the science in order to realize it's true. People just casually reading through might be turned off by it, but looking at any of the data will prove deadcast to be right. People can believe in crazy conspiracy theories in one part of their life and be perfectly normal in the rest of their life, so it's not a universal condemnation of the poster. But it's a huge waste of time for anybody to watch those YouTube videos unless they make a study of conspiracy theories or the art of deception or scientific cranks themselves. So in that regard, saving 90 minutes of a persons life is a kindness.
  • tomca32 10y ago
    You might be right about people who believe in crazy conspiracy theories. Usually, if anybody gets really fanatical about some cause, there's nothing you can do to change their mind. However, by being aggressive and dismissive, we are insulting people that are on the fence, as well as the opposition. They will feel stupid and will see the other side as being more reasonable and accommodating. That is why I say that this kind of comment is not useful. It's actively pushing people in the center towards the other side. EDIT: Accidentally posted without finishing typing the comment.