[MD] Backfire Effect

[Ian Glendinning]

The backfire effect.
http://www.psybertron.org/?p=3864

QUOTE
Most online battles follow a similar pattern, each side launching
attacks and pulling evidence from deep inside the web to back up their
positions until, out of frustration, one party resorts to an all-out
ad hominem nuclear strike. If you are lucky, the comment thread will
get derailed in time for you to keep your dignity, or a neighboring
commenter will help initiate a text-based dogpile on your opponent.

What should be evident from the studies on the backfire effect is you
can never win an argument online. When you start to pull out facts and
figures, hyperlinks and quotes, you are actually making the opponent
feel as though they are even more sure of their position than before
you started the debate.
UNQUOTE

Interesting reading, the original article.
Ian