Seriously, is there even one word that I wrote that attacks the poster rather than what he or she wrote?
To clarify what I was getting at, ad hominem doesn't necessarily imply that someone is being attacked or insulted. It just means that the argument, whether pro or con, should be considered without reference to a particular person. Marlinspike's involvement with a particular security software product or service has no bearing on whether I should assume it's uncompromised by the government.
Even so, I wasn't considering or discussing enraged_camel's character or person. I merely pointed why people might have downvoted. "Your other comment was off-putting" is not an ad hominem in the context of the reasons for community disapproval.
To clarify what I was getting at, ad hominem doesn't necessarily imply that someone is being attacked or insulted. It just means that the argument, whether pro or con, should be considered without reference to a particular person. Marlinspike's involvement with a particular security software product or service has no bearing on whether I should assume it's uncompromised by the government.