Source Material Allergy

noun
A condition where writers or directors act like reading or respecting the original material is toxic. Symptoms: rewriting the story, changing characters’ personalities, and inventing plot points out of nowhere—usually with the proud proclamation that they “improved” it.
Symptoms include:
Ignoring established world rules
Characters behaving in ways that betray their core identity
Frequently saying things like, “We just didn’t like the original”
Confusing longtime fans while trying to attract new ones

“The sequel suffered from full-blown Source Material Allergy—apparently dragons are now allergic to fire too.”

by TheNinjaSandwich February 6, 2026

Sourcepost

The initial demand for a citation, often deployed as a conversation-stopper rather than a genuine request for information. The sourcepost is planted firmly in the ground of "I don't have to engage with your argument until you provide a source," regardless of whether the claim is common knowledge, obviously true, or literally happening in front of you. Once the source is provided, the poster can either ignore it, declare it biased, or—if they're particularly committed to bad-faith arguing—move the sourcepost to a new location. The sourcepost is the first line of defense for people who don't want to think, just to win.

Example: "She said water was wet. He immediately planted a sourcepost: 'Source?' She said it was literally the definition of wet. He said 'source?' She linked to a dictionary. He said dictionaries weren't reliable. The sourcepost had done its job: derailing the conversation and establishing that nothing would ever be sufficient."

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 15, 2026

Source Theory

The metaphysical framework positing that all of existence emanates from a single Source—an ultimate origin that is not itself created but is the ground of all creation. The Source is not a being among beings but being itself; not a thing but the suchness from which all things flow. In Source Theory, everything is connected not just horizontally (through interaction) but vertically (through shared origin). Every person, every rock, every thought is a manifestation of the same Source, a ripple on the same ocean. This theory grounds ethics (we are all expressions of the same Source, so harm to any is harm to the Source), spirituality (returning to Source is the goal), and cosmology (the universe is a self-expression of its own origin). Source Theory is the foundation of most mystical traditions, East and West, and the perennial philosophy that underlies diverse religions.

Example: "He sat by the river, watching water flow from the mountain, and felt Source Theory viscerally. The river came from somewhere; so did he. Every person he'd ever met, every creature, every star—all from the same Source. The feeling of separation dissolved, briefly, and he knew himself as a wave on an ocean he'd never left. Then the moment passed, but the knowing remained."

by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 17, 2026

Source Sophism

The use of source requirements in bad faith—demanding sources in ways designed to be impossible to satisfy, or dismissing every source provided with shifting criteria. Source Sophism begins with "source?" and then moves through endless objections: biased source, outdated source, not authoritative enough, not primary enough, not the right kind of source. The goal is not to evaluate sources but to exhaust the person providing them. It's sophistry with citations: using the appearance of rigor to avoid engagement.

"She provided a source. 'That's biased.' Another. 'Too old.' Another. 'Not peer-reviewed.' Another. 'Predatory journal.' Source Sophism: source as infinite regress, citation as exhaustion. No source would ever be good enough because good enough wasn't the point."

by Dumu The Void March 8, 2026

Sourcepost

A specific instance of Source Sophism—a post or comment whose sole purpose is to demand sources in a way that exhausts or dismisses rather than inquires. The Sourcepost often appears reasonable: "source?" "citation needed." But its function is not to seek information; it's to cast doubt, shift burden, or end engagement. The Sourcepost is recognizable by its pattern: demand source, dismiss source, demand better source, repeat. It's a rhetorical move disguised as a request.

"Source?" he commented, and nothing else. Not engagement, not discussion—just the demand. Sourcepost: source as conversation-ender, citation as cudgel. He didn't want to know; he wanted to stop knowing."

by Dumu The Void March 8, 2026

pay-source

Opposite of open-source

I was going to use open-source when I realized I had pay-source

by Anon Emos March 1, 2009

Mother Source

The primary source for a plagiarized paper.

Yeah, not really sure how this one's gonna pan out the mother source was an x-rated site.

by Jaquan Willeeams April 10, 2011