[nirvana]

Claims aren't accused of wearing tinfoil hats, people are. When you say a claim is the kind that comes from that kind of person, you're implying that the maker of the claim is that kind of person. You are correct that you strictly talked about the claim, but this was an inflammatory way to put it, and personally offensive to me. (I really do wear a tinfoil hat, under doctors orders!)

Seriously, though, I can't speak to your intent, and I'm not trying to argue with you (in fact, you can have the last word... ) its just that this particular phrase is commonly used in an attempt to discredit people and communicates a world view that is anti-intellectual and anti-critical thinking. (EG: "You disagree with government propaganda? Well put on your tinfoil hat!")

Strictly speaking, I think what he said was incorrect. I believe it is correct that suppression of dissent is the primary reason most "hipsters" (not sure what the right word is there to describe this segment of the population) want to prevent using pseudonyms. I don't think it is google's reason. And there's a big difference between "primary reason" and "only reason".

However, invoking the tinfoil hat, at best is a fallacy ("People who say that are crazy, therefore the argument is false") and at worse it takes the conversation to a personal level that his simple over broad statement didn't really merit.

Probably way too many words on that subject, but I wanted you to understand why it is an offensive thing to say.