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by sethbannon 2986 days ago
Pointing this out is a DH1 in Paul Graham's hierarchy of how to disagree -- essentially a form of ad hominem [1]. Even people who get things wrong do occasionally get things very right, so more useful would be to address the points the author of the post is actually making. Are they valid? Why/why not?

1: http://www.paulgraham.com/disagree.html

2 comments

Actually the links are useful. The author has a a huge misunderstanding about how exchanges work. I know enough about exchanges that I know he is not only wrong but doesn't understand them at all. Therefore I have to treat his other work with a similar degree of scepticism.

The Murray-Gellman Effect

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2011/08/the-murray-ge...

I would also argue the author (in the article) spends more time musing in his own ad hominems rather than addressing his own arguments on their merits.