From wikipedia:
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The term Fisking, or to Fisk, is blogosphere slang describing detailed point-by-point criticism that highlights errors, disputes the analysis of presented facts, or highlights other problems in a statement, article, or essay.
Eric S. Raymond, in the Jargon File, defined the term as:
A point-by-point refutation of a blog entry or (especially) news story. A really stylish fisking is witty, logical, sarcastic and ruthlessly factual; flaming or handwaving is considered poor form. Named after Robert Fisk, a British journalist who was a frequent (and deserving) early target of such treatment.
More broadly, the British newspaper The Observer defined fisking as “savaging an argument and scattering the tattered remnants to the four corners of the internet.”
I’ve created this forum to encourage and facilitate the collaborative fisking of articles and sites (which, of course, already does go on all by itself); primarily those that are errant nonsense, or empty, rhetoric-laden propaganda and spin.
It’s my hope that, by using the Stumbleupon review system to provide a set of study notes (cum debunking), people will be able to appreciate some things for the illogical fluff they are, and perhaps develop better rational thinking skills of their own. As to the best means of doing this, I posit no rules (as yet), but I make the following suggestions:
If you find a page that you think could do with a little TLD (Tender Loving Dissection), then post a thread about it, perhaps with your own thoughts and analysis, or just as a request for others to do so; this can then (hopefully!) lead to further input and discussion.
The actual review posting can be done either by individuals–each adding their own snippet to the SU Review Page for the given site–or in one summation, perhaps with a link back to the forum thread so that others may see the workings.
Please try to keep things non-partisan and unbiased: this is meant to be about reducing the effect of empty rhetoric, not increasing the amount of it. Respect other people–even if you don’t respect their opinions.
Suggestions as to techniques and layouts, and links to relevant resources, would also be great.