Godwin's Law

E578395

Godwin's Law is an internet adage stating that as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.

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Statements (46)

Predicate Object
instanceOf informal rule
internet adage
proverb
appliesTo Usenet discussions
email discussion lists
internet forums
online chat
social media discussions
coreClaim as an online discussion grows longer the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1
culturalImpact became a reference point in discussions of online argumentation
popularized awareness of overuse of Nazi comparisons
describes online discussions
field internet culture
online communication
sociology of the internet
firstFormulatedOn Usenet NERFINISHED
hasAlternativeName Godwin's rule of Nazi analogies NERFINISHED
hasAuthor Mike Godwin NERFINISHED
hasContext early internet culture
hasCreatorProfession internet law scholar
lawyer
hasCriticism can be misused to shut down legitimate historical comparisons
may oversimplify complex political analogies
hasFormulationYear 1990
hasInterpretation frequent Nazi or Hitler analogies indicate breakdown of rational debate
long online discussions tend to devolve into extreme comparisons
hasKeyPhrase as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1
hasLanguage English
hasMedium digital communication
hasOriginCountry United States NERFINISHED
hasPopularity high in online culture
hasPurpose comment on rhetorical escalation in online arguments
highlight trivialization of Nazi comparisons
hasStatus popular meme
widely cited internet maxim
hasSubject probability of Nazi comparisons
hasTypeOfProbability informal probability
influenced discourse about reductio ad Hitlerum
online moderation norms
isNot formal law
mathematical theorem
mentions Adolf Hitler NERFINISHED
Nazis NERFINISHED
namedAfter Mike Godwin NERFINISHED
relatedConcept Reductio ad Hitlerum NERFINISHED
fallacy of inappropriate Nazi analogies

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Cunningham's Law oftenMentionedWith Godwin's Law