Re: AM-INFO digest 28 "FREE"

["Jeffrey C. Ollie" <jeff@ollie.clive.ia.us>]

  James Love wrote:
  > 
  > Mitch has an interesting point.  Why is it so important for Microsoft to
  > refer to its critics as Microsoft Bashers?  This was the term Slate used
  > to describe the Conference panel members, for example.
  
  It's called an "ad hominem" attack.  If I had kept my Philosophy 101 textbook
  I could give you a better definition, but basically it's a method people use
  (consciously or unconsciously) to avoid rational discussion.  One sure way for
  Microsoft to win is for people to start throwing insults rather than civilly
  working things out.
  
  I've long felt that confrontation and provocation tend to make people entrench
  rather than evaluate new information rationally.
  
  Jeff