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PaperclipPerfector  10mo ago (text post)   3720 thread views

Small-Scale Question Sunday for May 12, 2024

Do you have a dumb question that you're kind of embarrassed to ask in the main thread? Is there something you're just not sure about?

This is your opportunity to ask questions. No question too simple or too silly.

Culture war topics are accepted, and proposals for a better intro post are appreciated.

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What happened to @ymeskhout?

Banned on request, he did not say he plans on coming back. My impression was that this was permanent and from a building discontent with the community. The main point of frustration was with people dropping bullshit or unsubstantiated claims. And then those claims mostly going willfully uncorrected.

Ironic given his habit of dropping media falsities in the middle of long arguments, seeming to acknowledge corrections only to advance the same claims again a few months later in the middle of even longer arguments...

That's a bit of a loss for us.

I didn't care about his topics, but I liked his thoroughness.

His less-political lawyer anecdotes were well-written and entertaining, too.

His profile says banned on request, people do it from time to time if they need to spend more time away from the community for whatever reason (like real life work).

I’m sure he’ll be back.

people do it from time to time if they need to spend more time away from the community for whatever reason (like real life work).

The Motte: Not even once.

We Do It For Free.

Or to be able to say to the right people, "The Motte? Yes, I used to visit it, but they banned me."

We’re not that notable.

What is this place?

This website is a place for people who want to move past shady thinking and test their ideas in a court of people who don't all share the same biases. Our goal is to optimize for light, not heat; this is a group effort, and all commentators are asked to do their part.

The weekly Culture War threads host the most controversial topics and are the most visible aspect of The Motte. However, many other topics are appropriate here. We encourage people to post anything related to science, politics, or philosophy; if in doubt, post!

Check out The Vault for an archive of old quality posts. You are encouraged to crosspost these elsewhere.


Why are you called The Motte?

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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