At 14:10 11/11/2006, Mark wrote:
Well, I don't know about all of it, but I do know
that "Don't be a
dick" isn't ad hominem. It's a guideline on Wikipedia. I don't know
the specific page, but it's basically talking about how you should try
to refrain from being intentionally unpleasant, or that if you realise
you are being unpleasant, you should try to be more pleasant, or
whatever. It may seem a bit blunt for someone on WP to tell you to
stop "being a dick", but this is one of the few cases where such
language isn't considered rude.
Thanks for taking the time to reply. I have to disagree with your
comments on "Don't be a dick". How the phrase is used will surely
determine whether it is being used as an Ad hominem, no matter how it
is meant. As the description itself says, "Telling someone 'Don't be
a dick' is something of a dick-move in itself".
There are other ways of criticising someone, and referring them to
the phrase (described as an essay, not a policy or guideline).
Regards,
Ian Tresman