OT: Spato-meter

[Barry Arrowsmith]

--- In the_old_crowd at yahoogroups.com, "carolynwhite2" <carolynwhite2 at ...> wrote:
>
> Just picked this up off another website, thought it might amuse and 
> jog a few fond memories of Things Worth Arguing About..
> Carolyn
> ..wondering whether Tony's told Gordon about the Minister for Magic
> 
> 
> 
> 1 Calm – someone posts an innocuous message on the message board.
> 
> 2 Scuffle – another person says "ooh, that wasn't funny/fair/kind".
> 
> 3 Tussle – a few more people get involved either to back up the 
> original poster or to agree with the dissenter. Someone says "I find 
> that very offensive". 
> 
> 4 Scrap – serious insults start to appear. First catpee occurs. 
> Thread reaches 50 replies.
> 
> 5 Fracas – spat really gets going as people threaten to leave. 
> Plaintive cries of "why can't we all be nice?" can be heard.
> 
> 6 Affray – first mention of newbies v. oldies. People are accused of 
> hi-jacking the thread for their own agenda. 
> 
> 7 Fight – first flounce occurs. The thread now has over 100 replies. 
> 
> 8 Punch-up – hosts get involved. Thread no longer makes sense as most 
> of it has been catpeed. 
> 
> 9 Brawl – first mention of 'cliques'. More flouncing. High number 
> of 'please don't go' posts can be observed. Wendy swears.
> 
> 10 All–out war – multiple flouncing. Thread now covers six pages. 
> Spat enters Mustardland folklore.
>

They seem to have missed out a key escalation point in any protracted
blogging spat - the one predicted by Godwin's Law.
"As an on-line discussion grows longer, the probability of a
comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one."

Mind you, those on the receiving end (usually the contrarians, known 
trouble-makers and the incurably mischievous) don't mind too much,
bearing in mind O'Rourke's observation:
"I have often been called a Nazi, and, although it is unfair, I don't let
it bother me for one simple reason. No one has ever had a fantasy
about being tied to a bed and ravished by a liberal."

A good, old-fashioned up-and-downer can be great entertainment,  
especially if one of the main participants manages to keep their cool
while the main opponents foam at the mouth in outrage. Still, you 
can't imagine that such a thing could happen amongst the gentle 
souls pondering the life and times of a boy wizard, can you?

Hur, hur, hur...

Kneasy