When does one "win" a forum argument?

[144_v1legacy]

And don't give me crap like "if you're on a forum, you already lose" or something.

Do you have to have the last word to win? Or can one sit in silence and comfortably know that onlookers will see their opponent flailing for ground to stand on, even if it's hidden beneath an ocean of abuse and flawed logic?

Because I like winning, but I don't like repeating myself...

 

[Cherry Cola]

I go by the logic: "When you have established that your opponent is an idiot you have won"

 

[mikemart]

no one wins, one person wasted there own own time to make people think something, even though that other person is as thick headed as the person who started the argument

 

[New Troll]

If you persuade your 'opponent' into seeing your point of view, wether or not they agree with you, then you've successfully argued your point in a forum.

 

[Yarkaz]

I don't think you can win an internet argument. I mean, it's hard to convince one of anything when you don't actually know them and all you see is an avatar and a wall of text. You don't seem real to them, and taking you seriously is hard. I also personally believe that half of the arguers on the internet probably don't believe in what they're supporting, they simply want to bug people. And although you can prove your side beyond a reasonable doubt you can't really beat someone who isn't seriously arguing.

 

[LordGarbageMan]

When you go to their house and beat them with a baseball bat. In all honestly I think trolls answer is spot on.

 

[Kriptonite]

If you both end up agreeing with you? I don't know, I try not to get in arguments online.

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

You win an argument when the other guy says that you're right. That almost never happens. The furthest you'll get is when both of you compromise on the good points on each side and call it a day. That almost never happens.

 

[Akai Shizuku]

You don't win Internet arguments. No one can. Either one or both people get tired and bored and frustrated and just stop replying, because on the Internet points to support any argument are seemingly infinite.

 

[RemoteControlRox]

You can't win an argument, I don't think.

You can win a debate, though. But a debate is not an argument.

 

[Knight Templar]

Depends, what is "win" Grasshopper?

To me you can't win, nobody can. Its not possable to "win" at small talk or going to the movies, it is posable to acheive your goals or prove the other person wrong, but even then its not really "winning".

Arguments are like Fable II; you can't lose and therefore you can't win.

 

[crudus]

Typically in an argument people are standing their ground, have poisoned wells, and are unwilling to compromise. So no one can really win.

 

[SimuLord]

A long time ago, a mentor of mine (I did say a LONG time ago) told me "We have a saying in the Army. The first guy to say 'fuck you' loses the argument."

Change "fuck you" to "Hitler" and there you go. Get Godwin a Facebook so he can be Web 2.0.

 

[Emeli]

When you go to their house and beat them with a baseball bat. In all honestly I think trolls answer is spot on.

This.

 

[stuart90]

Ever watched Jay and Silent Bob Strikes Back!?
People blast them on the net and they win by turning up at their houses and kicking the shit into them.............thats one way.

 

[Fire Daemon]

You win on a forum when you learn something new. When you come from an argument seeing the world through another pair of eyes you have truly won. Most people win in arguments, only those that ignore what the others say lose.

 

[144_v1legacy]

Wait, wait, I said "everyone loses" doesn't count. There HAS to be a point at which, even if it isn't apparent to the opponent, it is apparent to the rest of the community that one side has won. But is it okay to then just take the abuse that follows?

 

[Jinx_Dragon]

NEEEEVER!

I mean that too, one can only ever truly win when they have reached either A) the point the opponent concedes they where wrong or B) achieved a neutral middle ground. Thanks to the anonymous nature of the internet and the informal debating setting one side will never have to admit they are wrong. I have literally seen debates become nothing more then 'naaah, I am right and your wrong. Nooo I am right and your wrong' threads until one of the party leaves and then they are declared the looser, regardless of how correct their argument might of been.

Frankly, at that point I think both are losers and clearly morons.

If this was a formal debating setting we might see more people winning/loosing but in reality because it is not then any debate will quickly turn into 'banging on the table.' I don't consider this a win but it is how 99+% of internet debates go....

So, almost never.

 

[144_v1legacy]

You win on a forum when you learn something new. When you come from an argument seeing the world through another pair of eyes you have truly won. Most people win in arguments, only those that ignore what the others say lose.

That's true, but the other guy would probably see that as losing. I know that shouldn't matter.