Anonymous Authorities

The authority in question is not named. This is a type of appeal to authority because when an authority is not named it is impossible to confirm that the authority is an expert. However, the fallacy is so common it deserves special mention. A variation on this fallacy is the appeal to rumor. Because the source of a rumor is typically not known, it is not possible to determine whether to believe the rumor. Very often false and harmful rumors are deliberately started to discredit an opponent. For example:

"Self-defense experts agree that traditional martial arts are useless on the streets."

"Rumor has it that Bruce Less died of a drug overdose"

Style Over Substance

The manner in which an argument (or arguer) is presented is taken to affect the likelihood that the conclusion is true. While it is true that the manner in which an argument is presented will affect whether people believe that its conclusion is true, nonetheless, the truth of the conclusion does not depend on the manner in which the argument is presented. For example:

"Nixon lost the presidential debate because of the sweat on his forehead." "The instructor is overweight and out of shape. I wouldn't believe what he says about the martial arts."

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