The illicit major fallacy often arises when broad generalizations are used as a basis for decision-making. For online communities, this can manifest in the form of rules or policies that are overly strict or misaligned with the actual behavior of members. Such assumptions can alienate users, create unnecessary conflicts, or hinder open discussions.
For instance, if a forum's policy states, "All new members are likely to spam," and applies stricter moderation to them without evidence, it unfairly targets genuine contributors. Ensuring policies are based on observed behavior and data helps communities avoid this fallacy, fostering inclusivity and balanced moderation.
A forum dedicated to creative writing implements a rule assuming that "all non-members seeking critique are only there to self-promote." Moderators begin auto-deleting posts from first-time posters without reviewing their content. This leads to a backlash from legitimate new members who were genuinely interested in participating. By recognizing the overgeneralization in their approach, the moderators revise the rule to evaluate posts individually before taking action.