Godwin's Law

While reading an online discussion forum I came across Godwin's Law that states,

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.

The wikipedia page on Godwin's law adds,

Although the law does not specifically mention it, there is a tradition in many Usenet newsgroups that once such a comparison is made, the thread is over, and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever argument was in progress.

This law says volumes about the quality of online discussions and I find it particularily applicable to heated topics such as politics. It is difficult to find serious political forums that don't end in verbal bashing or extremes such as Nazi or Hitler comparisons. I once heard a claim that newsgroups are the armpits of the internet. I believe it more and more.