This document provides tips for engaging in online discussions for business or personal purposes. It advises maintaining a sense of proportion when arguing and choosing opening positions carefully. Comparisons to Hitler or Nazis should be avoided, as should boasting about educational credentials or poor spelling. Sarcasm should not be used, and one should not commit the "ultimate arguing on the internet fail" or feed responses from unreasonable discussants. Following these tips can help promote a positive personal or business brand through online discussions.

1. Arguing on the Internet Best Practice tips for people engaging in on-line discussions for business or pleasure

2. Running Order Credits Using discussions to promote your Brand Business Brand Personal ‘Brand’ Selected examples of Dos and Don’ts Conclusion

3. Credits Internet Arguing tips based on an article by Fergal Crehan @ tuppenceworth.ie/blog http://www.tuppenceworth.ie/blog/2009/05/18/arguing-on-the-internet/ Presentation uses images from istockphoto.com and flickr.com

4. Running Order Credits Using discussions to promote your Brand Business Brand Personal ‘Brand’ Selected examples of Dos and Don’ts Conclusion

5. Your Internet Brand

6. Your Internet Brand

7. Your Internet Brand How you write What you write Where you write What they read How you treat others Whether you are crazy

8. Running Order Credits Using discussions to promote your Brand Selected examples of Dos and Don’ts Conclusion

9. Arguing on the Internet

10. Do: Maintain a sense of Proportion

11. Do: Maintain a sense of Proportion “…The most important of these attributes is a sense of proportion, a certain ironic distance that ensures one will not be sitting, furious, at one’s computer, refreshing a page over and over and responding with expressions of all-caps outrage to one’s adversary.” Fergal Crehan – tuppenceworth.ie/blog

12. Proportion & Your Internet Brand How you write What you write Where you write What they read How you treat others Whether you are crazy

13. Do: Choose your opening position carefully Exaggeration Generalisation Factual Inaccuracy Exaggeration Generalisation Factual Inaccuracy Don’t defend the indefensible

14. Position & Your Internet Brand How you write What you write Where you write What they read How you treat others Whether you are crazy

15. Don’t: Mention Hitler Reductio ad Hitlerum - Leo Strauss, 1953 “Your suggestion that we do X sounds just like something from Hitler’s Germany”. Usually taken to mean you’ve lost.

16. Don’t: Mention Hitler – Godwin’s Law 1 Probability 0 Length of discussion “As an on-line discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.“ - Mike Godwin

17. Hitler & Your Internet Brand How you write What you write Where you write What they read How you treat others Whether you are crazy

18. Don’t: Talk about what you did in College as if it clinches your argument I know a little bit about Physics as well. Internet Well, I have a Physics Degree so you are wrong.

19. Don’t: Talk about what you did in College as if it clinches your argument “Mules are always boasting that their ancestors were horses.” -German Proverb Image from jpockele on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpockele/136549706/

20. Boasting & Your Internet Brand How you write What you write Where you write What they read How you treat others Whether you are crazy

21. Do: Make shure you check your spelling

22. Do: Make sure you check your spelling Poor spelling Makes you look sloppy Undermines your argument Can compound the problems raised by boasting “Oh, a Doctorate in Education but you can’t spell school properly”.

23. Spelling & Your Internet Brand How you write What you write Where you write What they read How you treat others Whether you are crazy

24. Don’t: Use Sarcasm “Neither irony or sarcasm is argument.” - Samuel Butler (English Novelist)

25. Don’t: Use Sarcasm Amused? You sound kind of furious to me I find it amusing that….

26. Sarcasm & Your Internet Brand How you write What you write Where you write What they read How you treat others Whether you are crazy

27. Don’t: Commit the Ultimate Arguing on the Internet Fail Exaggeration and Assumed Self-Importance Left room and came back in twice A modern equivalent of “Reductio ad Hitlerum” No sense of Proportion

28. Don’t: Commit the Ultimate Arguing on the Internet Fail Columbo = UAIF

29. UAIF & Your Internet Brand How you write What you write Where you write What they read How you treat others Whether you are crazy

30. Don’t: Feed the Crazy Maintain sense of proportion Know when to stop discussing Let them have the last word if that’s what they want. Feeding the Crazy can make you look just as Crazy.

31. Running Order Credits Using discussions to promote your Brand Selected examples of Dos and Don’ts Conclusion

32. Conclusion

33. Arguing on the Internet Can be fun Can help develop your brand Personal Business Can backfire if you are not careful about simple Dos and Don’ts

34. Running Order Credits Using discussions to promote your Brand Selected examples of Dos and Don’ts Conclusion