I had never heard that before. It's wonderful and I hope to think to use it in the future.

which in my family gets warped to "not my monkey farm"

and the more damage the better. People " who have no qualms about ruining your life " don't deserve any protection. Personally, I don't want to interact with conspiracy theorists in any way, shape, or form. You're a much braver and more tolerant person than I am!

anyone else could. Hence, my choice is leave alone what's cooking on the stovetop, and let it simmer and boil over.

By the way, interesting choice of hobbies, neat! I bet sometimes it can be a challenge to remain quiet throughout it all. I'd go nuts, which is why I avoid these types of things, let nuts be nuts, after all.

you should not be engaging with jihadists, army of god, dominionists, or what have you.

I believe most of them are cowards but you might get one that is just crazy enough to stalk you or hurt you.

I think there are actually three groups. I spent about six months as a member of a conservative forum starting last year and learned quite a lot.

Group 1) The Masterminds. These are the conspiracists themselves that fully understand the fallacy of these positions but manufacture and weaponize them to control Groups 2 and 3 and gain political power.
Group 2) The Tagalongs. These people are smart enough to know they are being played, but have a Machiavellian political mindset. They see the other side as being so despicable as to make any means justified to defeat them. They help circle the wagons around their alternative news sites and puff air under the sails of the conspiracy theories.
Group 3) The Kool-Aid Drinkers. These are the truly gullible or otherwise flawed people who are played like pawns by Groups 1 and 2.

Groups 1 and 3 cannot be reasoned with. I have on rare occasion gotten a Group 2 member to concede what Group 1 was up to. Group 2 can potentially be convinced or shamed into abandoning their position, but with great difficulty. They have an entrenched disdain for the other side. This group may be the key to peeling the onion, but are camoflaged in with Group 1. Group 3 are easily identified. Avoid.

really crazy ideas. I first ask if they really believe what they are saying. In defense they say the truly do. Next I offer a wager of $1,000. Held by a neutral party and if it happens they get the money, if not I get it. When they give reasons for not putting up the money. I say I thought so. Has worked every time.

Oh! You mean tell on them or don't tell on them.

I say rat 'em out huge.