[Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality may very well be one of the greatest fan fics of all time.]
And where to begin with you, Nai? mmm
I'm not quite sure why you continue to accuse me of confirmation bias when you seem to ignore evidence to the contrary (to say nothing of the many threads in which I've defended the placement of the likes of Ragnos, Caedus, Kun, etc.). Rather, if anyone has suffered from confirmation bias it was Janus and company from day one. I find it mildly perplexing that they somehow were spared your obsessive wrath, but then they had to deal with me and my wrath is much worse, if not more obsessive. sneer
I'm familiar with the principle of the devil's advocate and no I didn't assume that it was an opponent of dogma, simply that you've apparently fancied yourself as both from time to time. That you defended Yoda is not a surprise to me; if I recall, that subject (if not thread) was one of the few arguments that pitted you and Janus against one another. That you acknowledged the possibility of Ragnos dying at Yoda's hands also is unsurprising, as is your tentative recognition of Palpatine's "possible" status. (Likewise, I can go and find you threads in which I have acknowledged [repeatedly] the possibilities and probabilities of Palpatine dying in combat against another opponent.)
That you believe this somehow undermines your predilection for arguing in Ragnos's favor is the only real surprise. Perhaps if you presented evidence rather than a mild acknowledgement (as I did with Kun), I'd be impressed. I mean, I can find threads such as these, in which you blindly make assertions that Ragnos is somehow a better lightsaber duelist than Palpatine or whatnot, so the idea that you were a steadfast opponent of that bullshit is simply false.
As far as our discourse via email, you sought me after I said I was willing to discuss the issue. When you couldn't maintain your civilty, I blocked you from KMC and you continued to stalk and harass my posts long after I refused to speak with you. That is the very embodiment of obsession and something I simply don't share.
And lastly, the idea that you somehow left my essay on Palpatine untouched defies the very principle you claim to obey. If it is such a nexus of dogma and confirmation bias, one would think that you would have already ripped it to shreds. (Since you've apparently posted on the thread a few times for just that purpose, only to stop short of actually engaging.) But then I guess intimidation is a pretty tight leash, isn't it?
Aaaand back to my fic.