Godwin's Law

( prov.)

   [Usenet]  "As  a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a
   comparison  involving  Nazis  or  Hitler  approaches one." There is a
   tradition in many groups that, once this occurs, that thread is over,
   and  whoever  mentioned  the  Nazis  has  automatically lost whatever
   argument  was  in  progress. Godwin's Law thus practically guarantees
   the  existence  of  an  upper bound on thread length in those groups.
   However   there  is  also  a  widely-  recognized  codicil  that  any
   intentional  triggering  of  Godwin's  Law  in  order  to  invoke its
   thread-ending  effects  will  be  unsuccessful.  Godwin  himself  has
   discussed the subject. See also {Formosa's Law}.

[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {Formosa's Law}{splat out}]