Online Arguments

I will be analyzing this reddit thread arguing about veganism.

1. Why did you choose this online argument for your assignment?

I chose this example because veganism is an especially contested subject. Many people get into heated arguments about veganism both online and in person. I figured this argument would be a good would to analyze for emotive language, and to weigh out the arguments of each side logically.

1. Provide three negative examples and concerns you have with this online argument.

One immediate concern I noticed is the bluntness of this argument. "Honestly, the whole "You're either 100% vegan or you're evil" thing is kinda bullshit.". This may stem from the fact that online discussion boards are very laid back and don't use the same lingo as an in person discussion. Still, I feel the language used to be harsh and unhelpful

A second negative aspect I noticed is that a percentage of commenters seem to not be interested in responding to the original prompt, and let their egos creep into the conversation. "At the risk of giving advice, I think you ask for too much advice. I did not ask for, nor do I appreciate, nor do I accept advice on that kind of choice. I can make my own decisions about what I eat thank you very much, and so should you." Similar to the first example, this is definitely not helpful and promotes some hostility.

A third negative element are comments made that might not be negative, but certainly unhelpful. "eat what you want dude. You only live once". These comments serve no real purpose other than to confuse readers and make any sort of consensus more difficult to reach. I find it unlikely that anyone would make these comments in a real-world argument.

1. Create five rules for how people should argue online correctly.

• Have basic respect and decency
• Focus on the original prompt
• Be considerate, limit your own ego
• Focus on solving an issue and reaching consensus, not winning an argument.
• Ignore trolling and unhelpful comments.

I think with these rules considered, online arguments can actually be productive and have a useful application on subjects that are polarized like veganism.