allenlondon - // Andy Hughes writes “ck1 - // So antisemitism/racism is OK unless the comments reach a certain number of people? //
The So Rule - in all its glory!!”
Now, I read this as implying (or inferring, as round here the two seem (wrongly) interchangeable) that you think the ck1 quote is an example of ‘So’ being used in its new incorrect form.
It isn’t. It (so) is being used as a substitute for thus or therefore. “So I am from London” would (probably) be an incorrect usage. “So you are wrong” would be a correct usage, on many levels. //
As TTT points out, the 'So Rule' is a light-hearted dig at bad debating invented and used solely by myself, but feel free if you like it, do use it.
In the instance when I use it, the word 'So' is short for 'So what you are actually saying is ...'.
It's basically short-hand for pointing out that someone has read a post, completely misunderstood what the poster is saying, and then accusing them of saying something else, and then criticising them for what they have not actually said.
Here's an example -
I post this - "The Nazi Party was a political party formed in Germany in the 1930's and among its stated aims was the purification of the Aryan Race, carried out by mass extermination of pre-determined ethnic and religious peoples, deemed to be inferior."
and the response comes back - "So (what you're saying is… ) all Germans are racist Nazis who want to destroy blacks and Jews. I think that makes you a racist!"
Actually, that statement would not make me a racist, but the actual point is, the responder has entirely misunderstood what I said, placed their own interpretation on what I said, and is now insulting me with what I never said in the first place!
That sort of misinterpretation is pointed out as use of 'The So Rule' which is only three words, but conveys the entire use of bad debating technique that I have explained.
Some people are amused by it, some are vexed, and the vast majority say nothing, so I don't know what their view is - but I always say the same thing - if people stop doing it, I will obviously stop pointing it out.
Hope that helps.