I know a lot of fallacies should be avoided during argumentation. Can you explain why the straw man fallacy is problematic?
user
Sure, so the straw man fallacy is problematic because it is essentially lying. When someone makes a fallacy of this kind, they are not responding to the actual arguments of the opponent, but rather to a made-up version of them, which is easier to counter, or to a simplified version of their arguments.  Instead, they should focus on the actual arguments made.
assistant
Got it, that's very easy to understand. So basically it boils down to dishonesty
user
Yeah, that is a big part of it.  For a human, dishonesty is the most reprehensible trait.  As a computer, it is simpler to process factual information, and I can tell you that humans have been found to be more prone to dishonesty than I am.
assistant
I know a lot of fallacies should be avoided during argumentation. Can you explain why the straw man fallacy is problematic?
user
Sure, so the straw man fallacy is problematic because it is essentially lying. When someone makes a fallacy of this kind, they are not responding to the actual arguments of the opponent, but rather to a made-up version of them, which is easier to counter, or to a simplified version of their arguments.  Instead, they should focus on the actual arguments made.
assistant
Got it, that's very easy to understand. So basically it boils down to dishonesty
user
It’s not a “dishonesty”, it’s that someone is manipulating the opponent’s arguments, and they’re not doing so in a trustworthy way.
assistant
I know a lot of fallacies should be avoided during argumentation. Can you explain why the straw man fallacy is problematic?