Difference between revisions 1881672 and 1882010 on enwiki

'''alt.revisionism''' is a [[Usenet]] [[newsgroup]] intended for discussion of the controversial topic of [[historicalHolocaust revisionism]].  Although the name of the newsgroup suggests that all forms of [[historical revisionism]] can be discussed there, the vast majority of discussion (and flame wars) centers on the [[Holocaust]].

The newsgroup is noteworthy for sparking one of the most successful and well-known campaigns of ''anti-censorship'' on the Internet.  Because the topic of Holocaust revisionism is so controversial (in fact, it is illegal in someeveral countries), a number of organizations (such as the [[Simon Wiesenthal Center]]) have made attempts to stop Holocaust revisionism by suppressing it.  This campaign has spread to the Internet, where numerous revisionist and [[white supremacist]] Web sites have been shut down because of their content.

Beginning in the early [[1990s]], a few anti-revisionist participantthe members onf ''alt.revisionism'' took a different approach to their goal of discrediting subject of revisionism.  Instead of overtly trying to suppress the revisionists on the newsgroup, regular anti-revisionist newsgroup participants such as [[Ken McVay]] and Jamie McCarthy, working on the principle that the best antidote to an opinion they don't agree with is to impose their beliefs on others bad argument is a better one, began researching the claims of the revisionists hoping to prove themselves right wrong.  They posted their historical findings to the newsgroup and began archiving documents at various Internet sites. They also embarked on a prolonged (and ongoing) campaign to smear, harass, and intimidate participants in the newsgroup who they identified as potential revisionists. They have been harshly criticized for their practi McVay in particular dedicated a great deal of his time to making historical documents available online through his [[Nizkor Project]].

When faced with such detailed essays and works as McVay's detailed debunking of the revisionist publication ''66 Questions and Answers About The Holocaust,'' the pro-revisionist participants in the newsgroup found it harder and harder to state a legitimate case for Holocaust revisionism.  Many of their offered documents and pieces of compiling dossiers on, publishing the personal information of, and misrepresenting the opinions of several of the revisionist participantsevidence were found to be misstated, poorly researched, and often outright lies and falsehoods.  The revisionists eventually gave up trying to debate the anti-revisionist faction ofn the newsgroup. 

McVay's attempt at debunking the revisionist publi, and instead they began an ever-increasing number of personal attacks, slanderous (and occatsion ''66 Questions and Answers About The Holocaust,'' was in turn debunked by [[Ernst Zuendel]]. No rebuttal has yet been offered by McVayally libelous) writings and newsgroup postings, and even occasional death threats.

The newsgroup has been the target of several [[denial of service]] attacks, spam floods, and other [[hacking]] attempts.

The information content of ''alt.revisionism'' has dissolved to nearly nil since the advent of the [[World Wide Web]].  However, the flame wars and incessant personal attacks by the anti-revisionist crowd on the newsgroup against the historical evidence of their foes has provided a source of entertainment for many [[kook]] watchers.