"[Your ads are] just ridiculous."

[sakabatou]

"ok seriously, your adds suck. Give me the proof... Your other one about the nuclear bomb is just ridiculous. If you would cite your source or do something to make your claims valid i would very much like to see them... if they even exist."

The videos in question:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qldHEXxb4OE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pvE7gOes

The question is, what should I do with this asshat?

[hwmnbn]

1. Ignore this asshat.....nt

[greyl]

2. Your reply isn't very strong.

To the casual viewer, "Do your homework. They do exist. But I am not searching it for you. Google it." is a typical answer from someone who doesn't have facts and credible sources on their side. You've got the venue of the YouTube page to try to make a strong case. Why not do it?
Your current "Google it" answer also gives the impression that you don't really care about the issue.
It's kind of a conversation stopper, you know?

[sakabatou]

3. Editing

Put in links. Happy?

[Turn CO Blue]

6. Even stronger: "What am I? Your freakin' Google slave?"n/t

[greyl]

7. No, that's incredible and very weak.

A comment like that won't change a mind for the better.

[Turn CO Blue]

10. It was supposed to be a joke. "Google slave" is the joke part.

You can't change people's minds -- for the better or otherwise. They have to change it themselves by being motivated internally and DOING THEIR OWN RESEARCH.

Lighten up.

[greyl]

11. Oh, I didn't notice. ;)

I totally disagree that one can't change anothers mind. It happens all the time, especially when the art of persuasion and rules of logical argument are taken seriously.

[Turn CO Blue]

15. What I am trying to say

is that you can provide all the evidence in the world, but you can't always break through the wall of cognitive dissonance if they want to keep believing what they want. They have to do that themselves. It's like the old psychiatrist's standby, "They have to want to change."
If they see enough evidence, perhaps they themselves will want to look into it. When they do (look into it themselves, when they take the action) that's when the reprogramming starts.

[greyl]

17. Did I just catch you trying to persuade me to agree with you?

Kidding.

I hear what you're saying, and I've heard other great people say that nobody has ever changed their mind because of an argument, but I think that's usually only appropriate when talking about changing someones deeply held, ingrained beliefs. Otherwise, people change their minds all the time, in countless small ways.

I think the person with the rude comment at YouTube is only asking for some more evidence. Asking for evidence isn't the sign of an asshat, is it? I don't think that person has yet shown that they are beyond persuasion. I think assuming that they are may squander an oppurtunity for everyone involved to have a productive dialogue(and maybe even learn something)

Finally, if an issue is valuable enough to post a video on YouTube about it, it should be valuable enough to be accompanied with some kind of supporting evidence/argument.
(if it's the kind of video in the OP)

[Turn CO Blue]

22. Touche'

[Nicole]

4. The url contained a malformed video id.

That's the message I get when I click on your second link.

[sakabatou]

5. I don't get that message.

It works fine for me.

[Nicole]

9. Still doesn't work for me

Maybe it's working for you because it's in your cache? :shrug:

[sakabatou]

12. I cleared my cache

It still worked for me.

[greyl]

8. Same here nt

[sakabatou]

13. Odd...

[greyl]

14. Do you need to be logged in to view it?

This is the url I get redirected to from yours:
here

[greyl]

16. Here's what your second link should be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pvE7gOesLM

Happy?

[sakabatou]

19. Um no

The second link is supposed to direct you to the NY Times.

[greyl]

20. We're talking about your OP.

The second link in your OP is incorrect.
Your tinyurls are fine.

[sakabatou]

21. OOOOHHH

Sorry :P

[sakabatou]

18. The second link shouldn't take you to youtube

It should take you to NY Times.