On Mon, 1 Mar 2004 22:37:18 +0000, Gwenhwyfaer de Tierveil
wrote:

Quoth Bob Brenchley.:
There we are. A clear offer of evidence refused.

There is no evidence needed, she has already proved herself a liar and
a troll.

No she hasn't. Giving you an impression is not the same thing as
proving.

In your opinion.

No, Bob, it doesn't work like that. When someone very clearly has a
quite different opinion and experience than you, it verges on the
sociopathic to just start calling them a liar.

When someone claims something you know to be untrue it is quite normal
to call them a liar.

When they offer evidence to back up their position it's quite normal to
retreat from such a dogmatic position and consider that evidence.

Sorry, but when you know the facts as well as I do then there is no
retreat needed.

Saying "that's not my
experience" is perfectly acceptable, because it allows for the
difference - saying "you're a liar" without a full investigation only
demonstrates that you regard any experience differing from your own
as non-existent,

In this case it is. She was given ample opportunity to back out of the
hole she was digging, but eventually you just have to fill it in.

No she wasn't - you refused her every offer to back up her statements.

She was given ample opportunity to back out of the hole she was
digging, she insisted on keeping up the digging rather than take any
of the outs that were offered.

I can state, for the record, the fact that none of the UK's major
shelters (RSPCA, Cats Protection and Battersea) nor most of the
smaller ones that for various reasons affiliate with the big boys,
will normally rehome a healthy cat to an indoor only environment. This
has been confirmed on numerous occasions by people who work at the
grass roots level - actually finding homes for cats.

Put yourself in my shoes. I see person A shouting the same thing over
and over, whilst refusing to offer evidence for his assertions, or
consider evidence anyone else may put forward for theirs. I see
person B reasonably pointing out that her experience is different and
making an offer of evidence to back up her assertions. I don't know
either person, so I have no evidence as to either person's general
trustworthiness.

I see person A stating the facts, facts that have been backed up by
those that work at the hard end of cat care in the UK.

I see person B starting to troll, being called out, and being unable
to produce evidence because no such evidence can exist. She is welcome
to spout her "experiences" but I know in advance there is little
chance she will start telling the truth as she is now too deep in that
hole of hers.

Confronted with that situation, who would you be more likely to take
seriously? Why?

Frankly, I always go for the facts.

--
Bob.

You have not been charged for this lesson. Please pass it to all your
friends so they may learn as well.