Definitions by Abzugal
Fallacypost
A goalpost‑moving tactic that demands the target refute every possible fallacy label before any substantive discussion can proceed. The perpetrator declares that until the target addresses the “logical errors” in their own position, they are not qualified to speak. The goalposts shift as new fallacy accusations appear, each requiring a new defense. Fallacypost is a form of proofpost that makes engagement nearly impossible—the target spends all their energy defending against labels rather than discussing the actual topic.
Example: “She responded to his first accusation of a straw man. He then claimed she was using a false dilemma. When she addressed that, he said she was now committing an appeal to emotion. Fallacypost: infinite fallacy whack‑a‑mole.”
Fallacypost by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Fallacylighting
A digitallighting technique that weaponizes the language of fallacies to gaslight the target. The perpetrator repeatedly accuses the target of committing fallacies—even when they haven’t—making the target doubt their own reasoning. Each attempt to clarify is met with a new fallacy label, creating a fog of confusion. The goal is to make the target feel irrational and incapable of logical thought, while the abuser maintains the posture of a clear‑headed critic. Fallacylighting is especially common in online debates where one party wants to dominate rather than understand.
Example: “Every point she made, he called a different fallacy—‘false equivalence,’ ‘hasty generalization,’ ‘appeal to authority.’ When she asked for specifics, he said ‘it’s obvious if you think clearly.’ Fallacylighting: using fallacy names to destroy confidence.”
Fallacylighting by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Fallacysplaining
A form of logical‑splaining where the perpetrator dismisses an argument by labeling it with a logical fallacy name—often incorrectly—instead of engaging with its content. The response becomes a “fallacy bingo” card: “that’s a hasty generalization,” “straw man,” “ad hominem,” “no true Scotsman,” etc. The labels are used as conversation‑enders, not as genuine analysis. Fallacysplaining allows the user to feel intellectually superior while avoiding the actual work of addressing the other person’s points. It reduces complex reasoning to a checklist of supposed errors.
Example: “She laid out a nuanced critique of the policy. He replied: ‘Straw man. Ad hominem. Slippery slope.’ That was it—fallacysplaining, using fallacy names as a substitute for engagement.”
Fallacysplaining by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Technicalpost
A goalpost‑moving tactic that shifts the criteria for acceptable discussion to impossibly technical standards. The perpetrator declares that only those who can engage with highly specialized data, academic papers, or formal models are qualified to speak, thereby excluding the target from the conversation. If the target attempts to meet the technical demand, the standard is raised further—a new field of expertise, a more obscure dataset, a more advanced methodology. Technicalpost effectively weaponizes the very idea of technical competence to silence dissent without engaging its substance.
Example: “She cited a widely respected economist; he said that economist’s work was outdated. She cited newer work; he said it wasn’t peer‑reviewed. When she provided peer‑reviewed papers, he said they didn’t use the right methodology. Technicalpost: moving the goalposts so that no evidence can ever be enough.”
Technicalpost by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Technicallighting
A digitallighting tactic that weaponizes technical language to disorient and discredit a target. The perpetrator floods the conversation with jargon, pseudo‑precise metrics, or selective data, then accuses the target of “not understanding” when they struggle to respond. The goal is to make the target appear incompetent while the abuser plays the role of the calm, technically proficient expert. Technicallighting often appears in debates about economics, climate policy, or platform algorithms—anywhere where real complexity can be used to create confusion and exhaust opposition.
Example: “He buried her in acronyms, regression coefficients, and citation titles she’d never seen. When she asked for plain language, he said ‘if you can’t follow basic economics, why are you arguing?’ Technicallighting: using expertise as a cudgel.”
Technicallighting by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Technicalsplaining
A form of gaslighting where the perpetrator masks ideological defense or dismissal as a “technical,” “neutral,” or “unbiased” explanation. By claiming to offer merely technical clarifications, the speaker frames their own position as objective reality while dismissing any alternative as emotional, uninformed, or ideologically compromised. Technicalsplaining is common in debates about economic marginalism, neoliberalism, or platform policy: a critic of wage stagnation is met with a lecture on “supply‑and‑demand fundamentals,” presented as if it were pure physics rather than a contested theory. The goal is to shut down critique by making it seem naive in the face of “technical” truth.
Example: “When she questioned why wages hadn’t kept up with productivity, he gave her a lecture on marginal productivity theory as if it were a law of nature—technicalsplaining, using the mask of technical neutrality to defend an ideology.”
Technicalsplaining by Abzugal April 1, 2026
Legalpost
A tactic where the perpetrator sets moving goalposts around legal evidence, jurisdiction, or procedure, demanding that the target produce legal documents, court rulings, or specific legal formats, and then dismissing them when provided. Legalposting often demands “proof” of harm in forms that are impossible for victims to obtain (e.g., court rulings from oppressive regimes), or it elevates procedural technicalities over substantive justice. It is used to exhaust human rights advocates and to shift debate from moral urgency to legal minutiae.
Example: “She provided reports from multiple human rights organizations; he said ‘those aren’t legal findings.’ When she cited international court rulings, he said ‘they don’t have jurisdiction here.’ Legalpost: moving goalposts to avoid engaging with substance.”