0 the act of making an argument seem wrong or stupid by showing the mistakes in each of its points, or an instance of doing this: --
Fisking is meant to be a meaningful contribution to a debate, regardless of the veracity of either side's claims.
Fisking should always be primarily factual, though it need not necessarily be polite.
Fisking is different from flaming, with which it is sometimes confused.
A fisking is characteristically an incisive and fierce point-by-point rebuttal, and the aim is generally to weaken the target's credibility rather than seek common ground.
A really stylish fisking is witty, logical, sarcastic and ruthlessly factual; flaming or handwaving is considered poor form.
Following these traits should help the person doing the fisking to stay focused and avoid trailing off into merely denouncing the article in question.
