Is there seriously a DU argument about the word "woo" which can be defined so many ways

[uppityperson]

that in order to discuss it at all (notice "discuss&quot the term must first be defined so everyone knows what they are talking about?

Or is it just fun?

[JaneyVee]

1. I'm deeply into woo, depending on what your definition of woo is.

[uppityperson]

2. Exactly. How can anyone argue such a thing until they define it so both understand? Maybe snark is

fun?

[djean111]

3. My impression is that "woo" is always used as a sneering pejorative, so I find that all the wafting

of woo threads are robbing the word of its very limited usefulness. Really, any time "woo" is flung at something now, I have to laugh and consider the source - money, authoritarianism, whatever. Getting to be fun, really, because labeling something as woo - whatever the target - changes no minds, or does not change my mind, anyway, but I do learn some new things!

[ChisolmTrailDem]

6. "Sneering pagorative..." +1,000,000 ... And...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4281239

[TheKentuckian]

13. Yup

[Renew Deal]

4. The term is meaningless and should be removed from DU

[madinmaryland]

5. Sorry, but...

What are we going to do with that smilie if we ban "woo"

[ChisolmTrailDem]

7. At least one will finally have nothing left to say... n/t

[pinboy3niner]

8. Throw it in the WOOdshredder?

I'll fargo more bad wordplays...for now.

[NV Whino]

9. Slow news day.

We need another rip roaring election.

[WillyT]

10. I Dunno... But It Sure Is Messing With My Catching Up On 'Doctor Woo'...

And little Cindy Lou Woo...of Wooville...

[Spitfire of ATJ]

11. "Or is it just fun?"

That's a bunch of woo.

[Lifelong Protester]

12. As in what Susie could pitch

in this Johnny Cash tune:

[pinboy3niner]

14. Do we have to re-define it in a civil way? :) nt

[Quixote1818]

15. Here is Skeptico's definition which pretty much matches up with what I thought it was

What Is "Woo"?



You’ll see me (and skeptics in general) talking about “woo.” (Sometimes “woo woo”, but I prefer just “woo.”)

Woo is a word skeptics use as shorthand to describe pseudo-scientific and often anti-scientific ideas - ideas that are irrational and not based on evidence commensurate with the extraordinary nature of the claim. These are ideas that usually rely on magical thinking, are rarely tested to see if they are real, and are usually resistant to reason and contrary evidence.

A woo can also be a person who hold those beliefs. So you could say, for example, “homeopathy is woo” or “woos believe in homeopathy.”

Its use has been criticized because it is seen as insulting. Maybe, but its use is not fallacious if you explain why the woo belief is a woo belief. Irrational beliefs based on magical thinking should be ridiculed. Alternative terms such as “believer” don’t really cut it, in my view.

http://skeptico.blogs.com/skeptico/woo-woo.html