[sshine]

Tabs vs. Spaces could be similarly be viewed as a multi-thesis debate; "Tabs" and "Spaces", and arguments for and against each.

This is more neutral than the current "Tabs are better than Spaces", since the negation of that statement is "Tabs are not better than Spaces", rather than "Spaces are better than Tabs."

When the initial question is skewed, the rest of the discussion becomes skewed.

[Kialo]

You could, but then you would just end up linking the pros of Tabs as cons to Spaces, which is kind of redundant.

In the end, this is a simple, doing X is better than doing Y.

Using multiple theses generally only makes sense if they are "unrelated" (and not competing) or if you have more than two options.

[sshine]

Having multiple theses risks but does not necessitate more redundancy.

Yes, there are multiple points where an argument might occur. This risk occurs for all multi-thesis debates. Perhaps a DAG is more suited than a tree.

An example of the bias of having "X is better than Y" as the claim:

Claim: Tabs are better than Spaces.

Con: IDEs will handle spaces transparently and as effortlessly as if they were tabs.

Sub-con: This is not a "con" of tabs.

https://www.kialo.com/tabs-vs-spaces-16646/16646.0=16646.1-1...

This demonstrates that arguments for spaces are confused with arguments against tabs.

So good arguments to spaces will always occur as counter-arguments to tabs, not as positively phrased arguments to use spaces.

More obviously, arguments for spaces will appear red and disproving.

If you don't call that a bias, try starting a thread called "Kialo is a biased and simplistic platform." and see the effect.

My grasp on the subject of logical formalisms is a bit rusty, but I believe this bias can be expressed as a consequence of using propositional logic to simplify a world in which "tab" is not the logical opposite to "space" as true is to false. The objects you neglect to address unambiguously is:

- How do I differentiate between "Tabs are not better than spaces", "Spaces are better than tabs", and "Spaces are good"?

- How do I express that "Tabs are not better than spaces, and spaces are not better than tabs"?

- How do I express that the combination of tabs and spaces are better?

- How do I express that tabs are only good if accompanied by spaces?

- How do I express that tabs are just as good as spaces as long as they're accompanied by spaces?

Putting them in a tree that is biased at the top makes this very difficult.

The debate of the use of tabs and spaces is not able to be summarized in the one thesis "Tabs are better than spaces".

The thesis does not do a very good job of giving a collected overview of the debate. But it surely incites anger!

('This is not a "con" of tabs." is not itself a con of the argument, but a comment that the argument doesn't belong here. Ironically, the point it tries to make applies to itself.)

Also, why does the Kialo website hijack my right-click ability and my ability to copy-paste text?