*Co-authored with enola_catori*
WHAT CONSTITUTES A DEBATEA debate topic is not "what do you think about X?" A debate topic should begin with what YOU think about X so that others can agree or disagree with your initial post. If you just say, "what do you think about X," you will be given 24 hours to turn it into a debate or it will be closed. A lot of great ideas can be killed this way. It doesn't even matter if you aren't sure what you believe – just take a side. You can always change later!
In fact, the best debaters can take both sides of an argument and, after posting, have made several strong points to convince the reader. Which brings us to the concept known as the "devil's advocate":
If a debate does not have members arguing a certain side (i.e. everyone just agrees, so there is nothing to debate), or if they just want to challenge themselves a little, some members may choose to play the devil's advocate. Devil's advocates take on a position that they may not necessarily agree with solely for the sake of argument. This is, of course, optional, but can be very challenging and lots of fun!
But how do you structure the debate? Well, what I've found helps is having a firm grasp on what the issue is that you want to debate, what the facts behind this are (or what brought about this topic) and then the arguments. In fact, I've even been known to have that as my initial post.
Facts: ---
Issue: ---
Argument: ---
This also ensures that you have a sense of what you are trying to get across, and makes it easier for others to respond.
For an example of a post meeting these requirements, look here:
Model debate RULES FOR DEBATEPersonal attacksA personal attack is any insult made against a person instead of a person's argument. If you find yourself calling someone names or deliberately trying to think up ways to upset them, chances are you are getting ready to post a personal attack. Instead, step away from the debate for awhile if you are that upset and take the time to do some more research on your position. It's far more satisfying to show your opposition that your opinion is superior than it is to call someone stupid. In the event that you post a personal attack anyway, you will face consequences ranging from an informal warning to permanent moderation, based on the seriousness of the personal attack and/or the number of personal attacks posted. Bottom line: if your best response is a personal attack, you AREN'T debating. I don't care if you feel you've been provoked. Let the Moderators deal with that. DON'T BE OBNOXIOUS TO ANYONE!
Citations, citations, citationsIf you are giving statistics, or any sort of controversial research or claim, make sure you give a citation where others can read up on your source. This allows people to better respond to your points and perhaps even concede a point or two based on your facts. Besides, we all know it's pretty easy to manipulate statistics, and maybe another website has done the same study and found the opposite. If you are quoting from another source, make sure that you include a reference to that source. Otherwise, that's known as plagiarism which can get you banned from Quoteland.
Now, you may be asking what constitutes a good source. Scholastically, good sources are unbiased (i.e. the author does not have an agenda in writing his article or in interpreting his data in a certain way), relevant (they deal with the subject matter and are not outdated), and have thought ahead to and addressed potential counterarguments to their position. Granted, it is not possible to get such sources in all cases, but do the best you can. The better your sources, the better your argument in a debate.
SlangNope, not allowed. And use complete sentences. And you is spelled "YOU" not "U." Are is spelled "ARE," not R. This isn't a text message; it's a debate. Consider something you'd turn into your English teacher at school. If you wouldn't use it there, don't use it here. Use proper grammar. And spell check.
Profanity No swearing. I've been known to use a word or two and insert a ** in certain places, but again, it is the mark of a weak debater who cannot come up with a response that doesn't involve profanity. And note that "swearing" includes more than George Carlin's 7 Words. Again, if you wouldn't turn it on to your English teacher at school, don't put it here.
Off-Topic PostsThese will be deleted. You want to say, "welcome back" or "great post" to someone, use email or a private topic. No hijacking the debate. And if the entire point of your post is "I agree" or "that's dumb," that's not a worthwhile post either. Tell us WHY you agree or why the idea is dumb, or don't bother posting. This also applies to cries of "Moderators, delete this post" and/or "Moderate this member." If that's what you want to say, email one of the moderators – don't put it on the thread. Such posts will be deleted.
Members "Moderating"That last point brings up a pet peeve. The Moderators don't need members to "assist" in saying when topics should be closed, when a post should be deleted, when a member should be moderated, and so on. If you feel that the Moderators have missed something or should do something to a post, report the post or email the Moderators. Replying in such a fashion is disrespecful to the member who posted to begin with, especially new members. (You don't want us dredging up your first posts on the Debate Forum and publically criticizing them.) It's an off-topic post. It doesn't add to the debate in any way. It will be deleted.
Finally, for further information on debating, you can check out these links:
What's the difference between argument and debate?Debating debatesThings I will remember whilst debatingAnd as always, feel free to email any of the Moderators with any questions.
Edit: I posted this stuff in the updates forum but forgot to add it here, so: Also new, we, the Moderators are offering ourselves as resources on learning how to debate. The tutorial will remain open for questions on the structuring of a debate, ways of responding, and clarification of the rules (though emailed questions are still a possible means of contact).
Further, new debators have the option of participating in NEW DEBATORS ONLY practice debates. If we do not have enough newbies for a debate but you still want to practice, a Moderator will take the opposing side. If you prefer a non-public, one-on-one debate, private topic debates are another possibility. If interested, please email a Moderator, and we will set the debate up (or help you to do so). We hope this will allow people to learn to debate without feeling intimidated and allow you to join the public debates with a greater confidence in your ability.
Finally, if any current member wants feedback on their own debate style or has questions about improving that they do not want asked in public, you can again feel free to email a Moderator, and we will do our best to help you.
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"The sleep of reason produces monsters." ~Francisco de Goya
[This message was edited by Katelyn on 10-06-05 at 09:09 PM.]
[This message was edited by thenostromo on 07-24-07 at 01:23 AM.]
