F is for Flame War
What would the Internet be without Flamers?
Everyone has a subject that they feel passionate about, a subject that they’ve put in so much time and effort and they consider themselves experts in the field.[1]
Discussing topics of interest in the real world very rarely get out of hand,[2] but in an on-line setting, there’s no physical barrier to saying what you want.
Flame wars can erupt over the silliest of topics. Just Google “Pirates vs Ninjas” and witness at first hand the hatred both sides hold for each other. And who can forget that continuously simmering battle of Vi vs Emacs?
In the long run, flame wars benefit neither side, but they are fun to watch,[3] as each side becomes more entrenched and the insults become more personal until eventually the entire reason for the war is forgotten. Which is pretty much the same as war in the real world.
