"Most people do not understand the difference between a well deserved insult and ad hominem. An insult is not an ad hominem, only repudiating the character or intelligence of an arguer, with the intention of repudiating his argument thereby, is an ad hominem."
Example:
PS: What ever happened to your reply to me in that thread on laser-based weapons that your arrogance found itself painting you into a corner? Want to delve into it again... you know, to baffle me with your "brilliance"?
Your challenge to me was posted at 1:41:49 AM on Thursday, July 22, 2010: challenging a post of mine at 1:32 AM that same day.
You then posted a "Hulloa?" to me at 1:47 AM.
By the time the next day rolled around, there were a number of posts by other people, and continuing into the weekend, which demonstrated the essential absurdity of your challenge.
So my reply was unnecessary by that point.
Cheers!
Eh? Check that thread again. What I said was both supported and corrected by the others on it. I was expecting a reply from you, and you chose to maintain silence, lest you further embarrass yourself due to ignorance of the limitations of laser weapons.
The string of comments on that thread would have made it obvious, to anyone with the ability to think, that a reply was owed.