Uncertain Principles: Using Analogies on the Internet Is Like Doing a Really Futile Thing

No matter how carefully you set up your analogy, somebody will come along and interpret it in the most stupidly literal way possible, find some tiny point where it fails to correspond perfectly with the actual topic of discussion, and decide that this disagreement is an utterly devastating counter-argument to whatever point you were trying to make.

…

This is incredibly frustrating, because argument by analogy is a tool with a long and distinguished history among intelligent people debating topics in good faith.

Arguing in good faith on the internet has disappeared like a rabbit down its hole.

Aw, crap.