Internet Backdraft/Other Media


 * For a change of pace, take a group of amateur mathematicians and ask whether 0.999... (infinitely repeating) is equal to 1, or take a position on the subject.
 * Browser Preference. You might as well be flying near a hurricane/doing aerobics beside lava.
 * It's especially bad if you say you use anything besides Explorer, Firefox, Chrome, Safari, or Opera.
 * One should never even approach any computer science/geek newsgroup without taking much care about subjects that could generate a flamewar, such as:
 * vi versus Emacs (UN* X text editors)
 * Windows vs. Mac OS vs. free UN* X clones
 * The free UN* X clones vs. each other.
 * Flash. Just... FLASH. Any topic at all, and both lovers and haters of the program will argue.
 * (IBM) PC vs Mac. So (in)famous, Apple played upon it in their ads, and correspondingly somebody made a rap about it.
 * C++ vs Java vs Python vs Perl vs 
 * Related: Object-oriented vs functional vs imperative vs declarative programming paradigm.
 * ZX Spectrum vs Commodore 64 (old 8-bit home micros), which has raged unabated for the last 25 years.
 * Or you can Take a Third Option and go for the Amstrad CPC
 * Amiga vs. Macintosh, which is almost as old.
 * Versus Mac, hell! Try "original Amiga" (i.e. running the original OS on stock or souped-up original Amiga hardware) versus any or all of the "next-gen" alternatives (Amiga OS 4, AROS, or Morph OS.) (Or, even more acrimoniously, any of the "next-gen" systems versus each other.)
 * DAZ|Studio against Poser Just drop in on any related forum and ask which one is better - in seconds you will have a flame war that will burn for weeks.
 * For extra fun, go to any forum that supports CG modeling and bring up either.
 * There's a running war on Deviant ART to try and have art made with Poser/DAZ|Studio separated from scratch-made models.
 * Whether software with little or no restrictions on use, modification, and distribution should be called free software or open source. Occasionally you'll even come across software licenses accepted by either the Free Software Foundation or the Open Source Initiative but rejected by the other organization (such licenses are never compatible with the most common free/open-source license, the GNU General Public License, which was accepted by both groups). The latest term is 'FOSS' (Free and Open Source Software.)
 * AMD vs. Intel.
 * Are you a Linux user? Don't admit to using any proprietary software, ever!
 * Don't ever admit to a geek that you don't like Linux. They will explode with anger, and provide a lengthy rant on why Linux is the best operating system. For even more entertainment, start praising Windows.
 * Don't point out that there is a Double Standard against Microsoft and in favor of Apple. Apple fans will just call you a "sheep" for Microsoft; even if you aren't a fan of Microsoft and/or you think both companies are equally greedy, and just say it is justified.
 * The flame wars generated by programming languages pale before the flame wars brought on by real life foreign languages.
 * Ask which language you should learn. Misplaced Nationalism almost always gets in the way and people start bickering over economies, cultures, GPD, HDI, crime rate, history, population, conflicts, and over which has more speakers.
 * Ask about the hardest and easiest languages to learn. Nobody can seem to agree on the difficulty of the German Language. Some folks claim that it's in fact one of the easiest languages in the world while others say that it is an incredibly hard language. Then there are people who say that everyone should take Spanish instead of wasting their time. The only consistencies are that Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Polish, and Hungarian often show up as being the hardest.
 * Oddly enough, the language is one of the few topics about Germany which does not quickly invoke the Godwin.
 * Tank Goodness versus Humongous Mecha (Both sides will try to use science and technology to justify their opinion, and some try to compromise by pulling Masamune Shirow into the mix. We won't reveal which side always wins here, to avoid napalm-bombing).
 * On firearms forums, a sure flame is M-16 versus AK-47, Springfield versus Enfield, FAL versus M-14, 5.56mm vs 7.62mm, sights versus scopes, and different AR builders. Sons of Guns? good publicity for the hobby or a junk-filled affirmation of gunnies as rednecks?
 * Also, Never mention Desert Eagles in gun forums. Ever! Unless you're talking about plinking or target shooting, and even then, never on a serious target shooting board. Some people will say that it's a wonderful, though powerful gun while others will go on about it being a glorified piece of impractical junk.
 * Along those lines, though much less potent, never mistake a magazine for a clip on a gun forum.
 * Here is a great way to get a flame war ignited: Mention that you want a home defense gun and that the guns you are looking at are: an AK, FAL, SKS, anything bolt action, or any rifle in 7.62x39 caliber or larger with none of them being an M1 Carbine, AR 15, any handgun, or a shotgun. Oh, and just for added heat, throw in a barrel length of at least 20" and a bayonet.
 * Recommend a bolt action rifle, a battle rifle, an AK, or an SKS as a home defense gun.
 * HD guns in general generate flame wars. You've got the handgun group, the AR-15 group, the shotgun group, and the pistol caliber carbine group. The handgun guys always go on about maneuverability, overpenetration, overkill, and what if you get into a gun struggle. They are attacked because handguns are not so easy to use under stress and they fire the weakest projectiles. The AR-15 group talks about tactical accessories, customizability, Frangible bullets, lower wall penetration, how penetration depth doesn't matter, and that their gun is more controllable than the pistols and not deafeningly loud. The shotgun guys will say how the shotgun is the best weapon because everyone's conditioned to run so soon as they hear the gun pumping. Some people will then fight about the benefits of pumping versus not pumping, and they they talk about how they can put out a huge number of pistol bullets in a guy with one shot, which then invites debates over which load to use. Birdshot is adequate, says on group. Another group claims that #4 buckshot is what it takes. Another group then says that both of them are wrong and posts penetration data. Everyone fights about necessity of penetration depth versus just taking a big shallow chunk out of the target. The pistol caliber carbine guys talk about having handgun bullets, but being easier to control than rifles without penetrating so far through wall and potentially hitting someone in another room.
 * Is penetration all that matters, or is a shallow wound just as effective? Do you need to get at least that 12 inches of penetration like the FBI recommends for a defensive weapon, or is that a dangerously high amount which increases the odds of overpenetration and makes collateral damage more likely? Do 55 gr V-max or TAP rounds fired from a 16" barrel AR-15 make hte cut as adequate? They don't penetrate 12" through just gel, but they fragment and break apart very early in the wound channel. Does carving out this piece of flesh make up for not affecting the vital organs?
 * The Morgue Monsters vs. Jello Junkies debate on wound ballistics, the single-action/double-action/double-action-only debate, and of course the revolver vs semi-auto debate.
 * In philosophical circles, Modernism vs. Postmodernism. Hooooo doggies. Or any philosopher vs. any other philosopher, really.
 * Pirates vs. Ninjas anyone?
 * Meta-parody: Cake vs Pie.
 * Or Pancakes vs Waffles.
 * Or lions vs. tigers. No, seriously. Go to Youtube and you'll even found scientific discussions about who would win a battle in real life.
 * Stuffing or Potatoes? Anyone?
 * There's a major flame war waiting to happen if Dane Cook is mentioned. You have people say he's funny, he's not funny, he's only funny because he stole jokes, that jokes can't really be stolen, or that he's only famous because he knows how to exploit the word of mouth method.
 * The same may apply to Carlos Mencia.
 * Whether or not an airplane on a conveyor belt could take off. It has been confirmed through multiple real-life experiments that yes, it does take off every time, and the scientific explanation is elementary. But someone will always misinterpret the question, repeating "the experiment didn't count because the plane moved and the plane isn't supposed to move" until the thread is locked.
 * Wanna piss off Bill Hicks fans? Say that you like Denis Leary better (or maybe vice-versa).
 * Chronicles of the Horse was once subject to a flame war so immense that it earned a name: "The Tennessee Walker Wars". More recently, there was a conflict so bad it resulted in the resignation of the admin and death threats being tossed around. Also do not mention Parelli, Rollkur and "Big Lick" Tennessee Walker Horses unless you are prepared to both receive and give flames. Also in the equestrian world: English vs. Western, whether dressage is a training method or an end in itself, and oh, lord, Barefoot vs Shod. Hundreds of tons of iron could have been forged into horseshoes over the flames that that one has provided.
 * The Monty Hall Problem is always good for an argument. In a real-life Flame War, when Marylin vos Savant answered it in Parade Magazine, thousands of letters were sent in to berate her for her "obviously" incorrect answer, including almost a thousand from Ph.D.s. Even people who know the correct answer can easily be fooled by variants which are mathematically equivalent.
 * Part of that problem is that many people know the answer, but don't fully understand the math. That means that they don't know how to tell if a variant is mathematically equivalent or not.
 * Mercifully the merging of the Indy Racing League and ChampCar in 2008 finally shut up much of the mud-slinging between each side (not that there were many people left on either side). Woe betide any unwitting newbie who suggested to either side that there was any merit whatsoever in the other series.
 * Seen on this Wiki and worse elsewhere: the debate around Mary Sues, their characteristics, their subtypes, etc. Also, whether there really can be a Canon Sue and whether it's okay to declare a popular character or mythological figure one. Or heck, even discussing whether Mary Sue is really a Bad Writing Trope...
 * Mention Boxxy on any popular site with knowledge of internet fads and its userbase will crack in half (support or destroy); 4chan's /b/ crashed under the sheer pain the flame wars over her were causing the server. Also, you'll likely get a temporary ban if you post anything about Boxxy on the chans.
 * Furry Fandom, full stop. Mention it on any forum and try not to pass out from the smoke.
 * Furries have their own backdrafts, including: fursonas from species that are considered overpopular, fursonas of species that don't exist in real life, fursonas based off of cartoon or cartoon-style characters (especially recolors of Sonic the Hedgehog), intersexed fursonas (or, for that matter, intersexed anything furry, especially if drawn by Doug Winger), "babyfurs" (drawings of furries in diapers), furries in historical contexts (especially Nazi wolves and furry Jesus), and zoophilia. Sites for furries who don't fully identify as animals also have a strong backlash against anyone who does, and sites for furries who aren't into furry porn really backlash against furries who are.
 * Honey on Vegan forums - whether you can indulge or not. Some say it's an animal byproduct, therefore you can't; some say it's just spit, therefore you can.
 * Be religious, or irreligious or agnostic anywhere on the internet, and watch the sparks fly - If you're a Christian, then obviously you must be a homophobic, bigoted idiot who doesn't believe in science (despite the fact that religious scientists do exist and some faiths actually believe that knowledge is the best way to be closer to God) If you're an Atheist then you automatically look down upon people of faith, are depressed and "think you know everything", and if you're an Agnostic you're a "fence sitter" - because its impossible to not know whether there is a God or not and you must be completely black and white on the issue.
 * In rpg.net's Tangency board, do not express a strong opinion on any of the following topics: the existence of Bigfoot, the existence of God, breastfeeding, gay marriage, tipping at restaurants, the posters on any other gaming-related forum, and banned former rpg.net users.
 * And Michelle Kwan. Don't go there.
 * And Fred Phelps - this one got so bad that he's officially a banned topic on the site.
 * Anything relating to transgenderism; even accidentally using a wrong term somewhere will have the Trans Pack frothing at the mouth.
 * On a certain unnamed Image Board, a good way to start a flame war is to bring up the practice of circumcision. And if you think that's not enough, add in a preference for cut/uncut. Yay s'mores!
 * Not just on that certain image board. Mentioning circumcision virtually anywhere on the internet is bound to start a huge Flame War debate.
 * In the Troper IRC Channel, the channel's topic often advises against discussing religion or Faster Than Light Travel. There is a very good reason for this.
 * 1. Go into LJ's egl comm or any Elegant Gothic Lolita forum. 2. Mention brand replicas (bonus points if you bring up Bodyline). 3. Sit back, hit F5, and enjoy the fireworks.
 * Disney: Toons vs Tweens. State that 90s Disney cartoons like Duck Tales, Goof Troop, Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers, Tale Spin, Recess, Bonkers or any other shows that were on when 'you-were-a-kid' that you can think of, are way better than the tween crap that Disney spouts now. Fans of Hannah Montana, Wizards of Waverly Place, The Suite Life of Zack and Cody and other recent non-toon live-action productions will have a fit. People who agree with the statement will bash Eisner relentlessly, whether what's being discussed has anything to do with him or not.
 * Say ANYTHING about a major social networking site (My Space, Face Book, Twitter, etc.) The discussion will degrade into people ranting about how much they hate these sites and their hatred for anybody who uses them.
 * Goku vs Superman. Just try starting a topic saying who would win. Then you get Goku fanboys saying he is millions of times faster than light and can destroy the universe by powering up, and the Superman fanboys claiming Supes is omnipotent, and he is unbeatable. For added fun, try making a topic on who was the better hero. The flames will be hotter than Supe's heat vision.
 * Improve your Spanish! Go to any film/show/anime dubbed in Spanish-Spanish or Latin American-Spanish, and say that as you're familiar with the opposite accent the dub sounds a bit strange for you. You'll have to deal with the biggest Latin America vs. Spain war since the Conquista as a result. Also works with European/Brazilian Portuguese.
 * The same applies for British English vs. American English.
 * Go to a board for fans of cheese products and say that you like Velveeta. Hell, just mention the name Velveeta. Or admit to liking any packaged food to a forum full of foodies. Nice knowing you.
 * You can start your very own flame war on the fan forums for Disney Theme Parks. No, seriously. Just mention any one of the following: strollers, ECVs (motorized wheelchairs), safety enhancements, annual passes, or Fastpass (a line reservation system), and watch the combustion. Older posters will usually just Pass the Popcorn, but newer members will dive right in. If you want to escalate things to nuclear levels, just toss in a pro/anti Disney's California Adventure sentiment.
 * Alternately, if you're on the East Coast, mention anything even remotely negative about Horizons, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, or the original Journey Into Imagination. Talk about fireworks. Interestingly, you'll almost never find flames over which park is better.
 * Any discussion of Pluto and its reclassification from a planet to a dwarf planet/Kuiper Belt object, especially on astronomy and science fiction boards.
 * Now for the burning question: Does real chili have beans or not?
 * Go to any Singaporean bus-spotting forum (for example, buses.sgforums.com). Mention that you even remotely like the new Scania KUB buses being brought in by one of the bus companies there. Pray to God that the bus nerds have mercy on you.
 * Start a topic that involves heavy and direct discussion of the two major Singaporean bus companies, SBS Transit and SMRT Buses, such as comparisons between the two, asking whether they should merge, and so on. Now run, run very very far away...
 * Another one that get the bus nerds riled up: photography of buses. From techniques to equipment to copyrights to... hoo boy.
 * Go to a Cyberpunk forum and post anything related to cybergoth or Steampunk.
 * Original Characters in any fanfic is a good way to start a fire at any imageboard. Deviant ART is a primary source of firewood.
 * Speaking of Deviant ART, the use of bases. Are they a useful tool for developing your artistic technique, or are they cheating, lazy, theft of other people's hard work and "not really your own work?"
 * The DSM, and whether it's valid with regards to alternative sexuality. If you're not familiar with the debate; homosexuality used to be in it. Now it's not. Gender Identity Disorder, however, still is. You see how controversy could arise.
 * Or, more generally, go to certain people and assert that any mental illness exists.
 * Autism: whether it should be accepted or cured, what causes it, and Autism Speaks, a nonprofit foundation which either wants to help autistics or is a bunch of Nazis trying to wipe them out.
 * Whether it's possible to have a Depraved Homosexual, Depraved Bisexual, or Psycho Lesbian without it being Unfortunate Implications, ever.
 * Go to an Image Board and start a thread for black females and watch the the mushroom cloud rise to the stratosphere. Racist and sexist Flame Wars erupt every time someone makes a thread devoted to pics of Black Females. Some arguing over the fact that there's too many lightskin girls, and others saying that the light skin girls can't be black (I.E. they're too attractive to be considered black), as if sending the message that it's physically impossible for black women to be attractive unless they're mixed with something, or light complected.
 * Go to any porn forum and ask why certain performers refuse to work with black performers. The thread will almost always either get deleted or locked after a certain period of time due to intense arguing (Depending on how intense the discussion gets).
 * Go to a cycling forum and mention the name Lance Armstrong. That's enough. The entire topic will very quickly be engulfed in a massive flamewar between the majority of American posters who think he is a saintly figure versus the rest of the world's posters (plus a small minority of Americans) who think he's a Complete Monster. Logic does not enter into it. And don't try to sit on anything even resembling a middle ground or both sides will gang up on you.
 * Go to a knitting forum and ask what's better, acrylic or wool yarn. Then ask if you can sell stuff made from copyrighted patterns. Almost as flammable: Mention crocheting on a fiber-arts board with a high population of knitters.
 * Pregnancy forums. The single worst topic to bring up is birth plans (especially natural childbirth vs. using medication), but flames can quite easily ensue from breast vs. bottle, how long to breastfeed, cloth vs. disposable, how long to leave a car seat rear-facing, and pretty much any subject you might actually need advice on.
 * Bring up spanking. Just about anywhere is fine, but you get bonus points if you mention it on a parenting forum.
 * Vaccination. Also best on parenting forums. You're abusing your children if you vaccinate them (Autism!!!) or if you don't (for obvious reasons.)
 * On any feminist/womanist website, mentioning whether or not you should have children will cause the thread to explode until the comments either are locked or the blog owner writes an angry response to the people opposite whatever their view is.
 * Also, try to ask about whether or not feminists are ignoring non-white women or about whether or not transgendered women should be included.
 * Also, being a housewife/stay-at-home mom is OK as long as it's what the woman is happily choosing to do, right? Right? AHH! THE FLAMES! THEY BURN!
 * And for that matter, gender politics in general, and what does and does not constitute sexism.
 * Has feminism ruined women? Are things really so bad as feminists claim? Are feminists actually just trying to get all the advantages of being a man with all the protections of being a woman? Do men have any right to the children?
 * Are feminists actually misandrists cloaking their hatred in a progressive ideology? Is misandry a serious problem? Does it exist at all?
 * The subject of right to life will likely do it too. There are pro-life feminists out there, and the generated flames will probably be atomic before it's over.
 * For Maximum Troll, bring up Nice Guys versus Bad Boys. Are nice guys men who believe in treating women courteously and are genuinely kind people who unfortunately Did Not Get the Girl ever, or are they Stepford Smilers who hate women because they are too pathetic and indirect to ever hope to get a women of their own? Who is to blame for the nice guy phenomenon? Is it the Nice Guys themselves? Is it impossibly high female standards which meant that some men were screwed from the start? Is the very idea of the Nice Guy sexist, because the closest female equivalent of the Nice Guy is The Ingenue?
 * Is it possible to subvert Monochrome Casting and make diversity seem normal without people screaming "Political Correctness Gone Mad?"
 * If it's a historical setting, also expect intense debate over the extent to which ethnic diversity is Older Than They Think.
 * Bringing up the issue of cochlear implants in a deaf forum is a surefire way to get roasted, especially if you say that you think cochlear implants could actually be beneficial for some deaf people.
 * On any article/blog relating to LGBTQI or genderqueer (people who don't identify with male or female but are physically one sex) people, there are a lot, including should they adopt kids, should they get surgery, what to call bisexual people (bisexual? pansexual?). But, the biggest one is what English pronoun should be used for genderqueer/intersex people. Should it be what gender they look like? What gender they were born with? A gender neutral pronoun from a foreign language? Don't bother asking, or there will be a flame war. And suggesting "singular-they" not only doesn't satisfy anyone, but it will also start a secondary flame war about whether it's grammatically correct or not.
 * Also, whether or not asexuals should be filed under "queer/LGBT+." Asking this question is the internet equivalent of shooting an archduke. Tumblr and Live Journal being particularly bad about it.
 * Wolves. Just casually mention wolves anywhere and you'll be sure to entice the ongoing "Wolves are the most beautiful and misunderstood animal on earth" vs. "Wolves should be hunted since they're a danger to people and livestock" flame wars.
 * Pandas are another animal that will cause the flames on the topic of whether we should save them from extinction or not. Opponents will say "Pandas are stupid animals that refuse to breed and have no effect on their ecosystem and we shouldn't spend millions of dollars on them!" and defenders will respond "Pandas are adorable creatures that we should save because we'll lose them forever if we don't!!" and the flames will spread like wildfire.
 * Just bring up animal rights, and ask if there really are Animal Wrongs Groups in Real Life or not. For real fun, bring up the fact that the head of PETA denounces animal research even when it saves human lives but uses insulin derived from that very research. The ensuing flame war will resemble the destruction of Alderaan for sheer ferocity.
 * Which way the toilet paper should go. Apparently, this is Serious Business among many housewives. How serious? This serious!
 * The NCAA Football Board on Game FAQs. Anything you mention will often lead to internet backdraft, if you are a fan of a team that is in the Big 10, SEC, or Notre Dame, expect even more backdraft.
 * Designer dogs are a really touchy subject at the pet section of Yahoo answers. If you mention that you bought a designer dog from a breeder while asking a question there; expect to be insulted for buying a mutt from a breeder instead of adopting from the shelter. The flames will get much bigger if you mention that you plan to breed mixed bred dogs.
 * Racial identity can cause this within ethnic groups, particularly African Americans. For example when people say they're one quarter this, and two thirds that (and the whole I got Indian in my family cliche), are they being genuine? or are they just trying to separate themselves from other black people due to social reasons like racism, and trying to be more acceptable to the white mainstream? This tend to overlap with colourism (essentially a black caste system), and classicism. Very very deep wounds left over from darker times in America.
 * On name sites, especially Behindthename.com, expect a debate in the comments of any name about whether or not it is okay to name a child or not. Usually though, a name that is fairly different but not too different or old-fashioned but not too old fashioned (like say, Phoebe) will be praised but a name like Emily will have debates over whether or not it is good because it is old-fashioned or bad because it is popular. More modern names (Haylee, Kayla, Kaitlin etc.) will usually be disliked because they are seen as trashy. There usually is more than a hint of Unfortunate Implications with these, especially the "Ghetto Names" (such as Shaniqua, Tamika), implying that they are for poor black people and poor black people are automatically bad or stupid.
 * On Damn You Autocorrect!, a site about the phone feature autocorrect going bad and texting the wrong word, there is always a flame war about women for some reason. For example, a guy might say "I was at Mary" when they meant to say "I was at the mall" or something. If the woman gets angry assumes he is cheating, people in the comments will automatically call her names and assume that she's just being bitchy. That could be true, or he could have a history of cheating, or that could be his ex, nobody can really judge. Sometimes it gets so bad that the person who actually submitted the picture will have to comment about the real situation.
 * Just talk colleges and universities. Have fun with people arguing with various stereotypes against each other.
 * Spoilers. On this very website even. This can be a really sneaky one too. Depending on where you are, some places are apathetic to spoilers, while in other places, spoilers are Serious Business. Chances are, if you're a fan of something, you'll probably end up "spoiling" something at one time or another by accident (and thus invoking this trope) unless you're very lucky. Be careful.
 * Second Life. Just ask whether or not Viewer 2 is an improvement from Viewer 1 and watch everyone froth at the mouth.
 * Godwin's Law. Just bringing up the law itself is enough to derail a thread into an argument about Nazis.
 * The Annoying Orange: Just comment on Youtube saying that the show sucks and hope you run away from the fire as fast as you can. The fanbase is one-sided.
 * Are the airlines justified in making passengers turn off their electronics during takeoff and landing? The heat is stronger than burning jet fuel.
 * What do you get when you combine something that proponents consider to be a cosmic truth, cannot accept any compromise on, and view differing opinions as very literally evil? A religious flame war, that's what! Go to any post about religion (particularly on a news site) and let even a hint of religious bias out. The rest will handle itself.
 * Imply that Christians can be terrorists or that modern, Evangelical Christianity isn't what Jesus had in mind.
 * Say that the god-figure in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity is the same god. All hell will break loose from one side of the fence or another.
 * Compare attempts to get Christian religiously-motivated laws (e.g. most anti-abortion bills) passed with Islamic fundamentalist countries and you're good to go.
 * Go onto YouTube. Post a video of your pet. Even if it's as something as innocent as you playing fetch with your new puppy, you'll be sure to entice a flame war about how to best care for your pet.
 * Fish. No, really. Anytime someone posts a video about their pet fish, be prepared to witness a flood of flame-wars regarding proper feeding, tank care, and whatnot.
 * Goldfish. Are they best kept in a bowl? A tank? A pond? If so, how large? Even further, should they be fed flakes? Freeze-dried shrimp? Or something else? And that's the tip of the proverbial iceberg. Let's just say that the sheer number of Internet Backdraft goldfish care creates would be enough to fill its own page.
 * Exotic pets, or rescued wild animals that cannot survive in the wild (Often due to severe injury or abandoned by people who wanted one for a pet but weren't ready for the responsibility and end up abandoning it) fall under this a LOT. Flame wars erupt between people who go "Aww, that person cares. Look how they're taking care of that animal with so much love" and "How dare you take that beautiful creature from the wild!?".
 * Go onto YouTube. Ask if it's better to get a pet from a big-name pet chain or from a local breeder. Flame wars will ensue.
 * As an added bonus, say you got your pet from Petco, Wal-Mart, or Petsmart and that said pet is healthy and happy. Be prepared to be flooded with flaming messages from both sides.
 * And you can also expect heat from the rescue crowd saying you should have adopted it from an animal shelter.
 * Posting a video of a snake being fed live food will result in this, all of which (for some reason) accuse the person of animal cruelty. IE: "You're so cruel for killing that poor rat by feeding it to that ugly snake!" VS "How dare you feed a live mouse to that snake! That's way too stressful on the snake!" VS "Frozen food is inhumane because snakes naturally eat live prey!"
 * Say anything negative about dogs. Anything. Even casually mentioning you don't like dogs will cause a flame war.
 * The same goes for cats.
 * Speaking of dogs, pit bulls in particular. Either they're a beloved and horribly misunderstood breed of dog, or they're vicious animals that will tear you apart in seconds. And don't even try to take a neutral stance on the issue.
 * Try mentioning you feed your dog/cat a "vegan" diet. On pet boards in particular, this is extremely contentious.
 * Would you believe the proper way to clean up your dog's poop would fall under this? Everyone, and we mean everyone, has their own opinion on the matter and will gladly state it as vocally as possible.
 * Whether or not any animal can be considered "smart", definitely falls under this, especially when it involves people comparing their pets with one another.
 * Reptiles could rival fish in terms of the sheer number of Internet Backdraft that results in asking how to properly care for them. How big should the enclosure be? How often should you feed it? What should you feed it (See the snake example above for a more specific variation of this)? Should you use heating lamps or heated floors? No two people will ever fully agree with one another...if at all.
 * Mention you think turtles make a great beginner pet and that they're easy to care for. Reptile fans from both sides of the argument will be all over you.
 * 9/11. Truthers versus people who believe the official story. Don't you dare bring up any flaws in a Truther argument, or you'll be flamed for being a sheep who believes everything the government tells them. Don't even try defending your argument with facts, or even video of the attack itself!
 * Videos of Stephen Merchant on youtube have become of this as of late. More specifically, the comments people leave behind. Let's just say that posting anything (And we do mean ANYTHING) containing a Portal 2 quote will result in you being flamed.
 * Likewise, even mentioning Wheatley on anything Stephen Merchant related will result in a ressurection of "Wheatley was awesome!" VS "Shut up about Portal! Steve was in other stuff ya know!" flame wars.
 * The Holocaust. Believers versus deniers. Nothing else will be said.
 * Go onto a cell phone forum. Ask which is better, iOS or Android. Break out the marshmallows and hot dogs. Bonus points if the Blackberry fans start adding their opinions. Apple fans tend to complain about Android being a knockoff of (or worse, stolen)iOS technology,too fragmented with the number of phones running various OS versions, and the system being too open to hacking. Android fans counter that Apple is overpriced and too closed off/can't be customized unless you jailbreak it.
 * Ask a group of Android fans which phone is best,and war will ensue because it runs on so many phones.
 * In some corners of the Internet, praising anything about the United States, mentioning being American (or worse, mentioning being a proud American) and sometimes even just mentioning the US will cause comments about how the US is a nation of corrupt, warlike, money-grabbing, knuckle-dragging, border-line fascist simpletons who fail geography, history, logic etc., and yet consider themselves to be superior to everyone else. And that's just from Americans.
 * Discussions about WW 2 in any medium will eventually erupt into one of three battles, Which Allied Nation played the most crucial role in the Victory in Europe?, If X happened Germany would have won, or Was the US right to drop The Bomb on Japan? Break out the marshmallows.
 * Go on any writing forum and mention that there are/aren't any writing rules and watch the spit hit the fan. Mention that you would like to earn money writing commercial fiction and prepare to be likened to the whore of Babylon.
 * Go to the Internet Movie Database. Click any film or show's message board. You'll pretty much find people agreeing and disagreeing on everything, including other movies, Whether or not CGI should die, and even complaining about IMDb itself. There's just no pleasing nobody on there.
 * The current debate about pedophilia and works featuring such on This Very Wiki.
 * Post anything about an animal shelter or a group of altruist people helping dogs or cats with cancer o disabilities to find a good home. Nobody will flame that, right?. WRONG. Expect some random poster questioning why all that people doesn't spend their time and money helping other people instead, and watch the flames erupt.