Formal debates

Discussion in 'SF Open Government' started by Asguard, Dec 30, 2004.

  1. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    i was wondering people are interested in having threads in which we use a more stuctured debating style than we normally do here. It is something i tried to set up in one thread in ethics at the moment and it seems to be going well

    Some of the rules of a normal debate i wouldnt apply like time limits, limited teams or having only one side then the other post. I think that these rules would just not fit with our comunity. Altho maybe some people do want to have specific debates with cirtan people.

    the rules i thought up were just a rough few. Things like any personal atack being deleted, off topic posting being not alowed at all just a few of the genral things you would see in a debate.

    so are people interested in this idea?

    if you are what rules would you inforce in it?

    do you think this should just be specific threads under say ethics or should it have its own seprate section?
     
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  3. marv Just a dumb hillbilly... Registered Senior Member

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    I don't think the rules for debate should be "invented" on this forum. I would favor something similar to the Oxford format because most are (or should be) familiar with it. Debate "stickys" or a separate forum could be set up with post authority limited to the debators and moderator.

    I'm in favor of it.
     
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  5. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    marv i didnt mean we should just make up the rules from scratch but the practicality of the forum we are using would prevent as stuctured a debate as they do in live debates (for want of a better term).

    also i dont think we should limit who can go in it. i think anyone should be alowed to join in at any point

    the advantage of using a seprate forum would be that we could suspend members from it who do nothing but destroy it or dont stick to the rules or topics but apart from that why say you can only have 4 posters on it (for example) because only 2 want to take one side of the debate? those 2 could be well resurched enough to take on 5 or 6 others

    but thats just my opinion
     
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  7. §outh§tar is feeling caustic Registered Senior Member

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    4,832
    Bad idea. Keep it to two.
     
  8. water the sea Registered Senior Member

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    I see my post has been deleted. I suppose I should have elaborated a bit.
    I said:

    * * *
    The rule of the fist.

    * * *

    My point is that everyone entering any debate should know -- as a rule -- that having a debate is a privilege and a luxury, but also a way to take out a fight mentally instead of physically.

    But the aim -- to win -- is just the same. We don't enter debates for fun or because they were an interesting pastime. We enter them to win. We are guided by the rule of the fist. Just because it looks nice when we take out our fight with words instead of fists, does in no way mean that we are not guided by that same rule of the fist.

    I think this much ought to be clear to everyone entering a debate, hence I suggested it as a rule.
     
  9. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    its a compitision like any other sport but played just for fun not to beat the crap out of someone
     
  10. §outh§tar is feeling caustic Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    4,832
    Who says we don't enter debates because they are an interesting pastime? People enter debates to learn new things, not to demonstrate their ignorance is inferior to their opponents. Remember what we have been talking about: we should admit that we just don't know anything; we can only assume.
     
  11. Roman Banned Banned

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    11,560
    I don't like the idea of making debating a rule. It would be cool, though, to see some debate threads that are started by the members.
     
  12. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

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    23,049
    roman we were talking about having just the one section with just these sorts of threads. To be honest we cant rely on members just doing what they are told. If you look at the one i tried to make you will see that THE FIRST RESPONCE is totally off topic garbage, we didnt even get one post on the topic to start it off. If there was a specific section dedicated to it then people would KNOW that "hello, this section has different rules from the rest of the board, by posting there you chose to obay them or not be alowed back in there again"

    at least thats my thoughs
     
  13. Roman Banned Banned

    Messages:
    11,560
    Ah, well, I'm in total support of that.

    Perhaps if the thread could be regulated by forumers with a post count above 1,000, so they could be held socially repsonsible for their management. All edits, deletions and stuff would be visible, and it would say when it was edited and by whom, and for what reason.

    Of course, this would not only require some site-structure built, but probably cause strife between the forumers with +1k posts and those who don't, and probably further obnoxions from the feuding members (like Persol and MacM).
     
  14. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    Roman it would be much easier for 1 or 2 mods to regulate it if they were willing to put in the time than a heep of members
     
  15. mercurio 9th dan seppuku sensei Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    325
    Like this?

    http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread57806/pg1

    can be cool, I think, with only 2 participants for clarity sake. They could be group 'speakers' tho, probably with all sorts of frantic subdiscussions by those groups in between formal rounds...
     
  16. gendanken Ruler of All the Lands Valued Senior Member

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    4,779
    But blah blah blah?
    Blah blah blah blah, in the blah blah blah.

    Blah blah:
    1) blah the blah
    2) blah in blah
    3) blah this blah
    3) blah blah blah bisblah blahadylah.

    Blah blah- blah blah.
     
  17. mercurio 9th dan seppuku sensei Registered Senior Member

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    325
    gendanken should read 'Gedanken' (thoughts in German).

    Lucabrutio Ebria is nonsense Latin, although ebria means 'drinks'.

    The rest is very deep, too.

    wow, thanks for your contribution, thnoughts!
     
  18. gendanken Ruler of All the Lands Valued Senior Member

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    4,779
    Smoogle:
    Yes, I know this.
    Tricky keyboard, fucks the spelling.

    The choice was g for gedanken or Gargamel.
    Hogotha, too eichy.

    So, gendanken.
    Not for Sam Butler.

    BLAH!
     
  19. mercurio 9th dan seppuku sensei Registered Senior Member

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    325
    Maybe. But then again, he did not have your keyboard. Probably just another of your typos.

    As he said: 'Life is like playing a violin in public and learning the instrument as one goes on.'
     
  20. mercurio 9th dan seppuku sensei Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    325
  21. gendanken Ruler of All the Lands Valued Senior Member

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    4,779
    Actually, the 'right' word is lucubratio which when translated from the Latin means 'work'.
    I used it in the sense of lubrication, which missspelled that way, like my name makes no sense.

    .
    You may reprimand me.
     
  22. mercurio 9th dan seppuku sensei Registered Senior Member

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    325
    Reminds me of the joke about the sadist and the masochist:

    Masochist: Hit me!

    Sadist: No......

    Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image!



    Tip: whenever you see one of those old-style, heavy IBM keyboards, grab it. I have 4 spares, even. Nothing comes close. Dropped one from several meters once, only to find out they put double caps on the keys, which are easily snapped back into place. In-de-frigging-structible, and when tossing out crumbs, tobacco and dried beer, you should remember to unscrew the bottom, and clean it properly, NEVER shake it upside down, 'cause all the crap gets stuck under the keys, which is the last place you want it to end up, and is actually the one way to make sure it does.

    Fancy a formal debate? You pick the subject and position, I'll take up whatever's left. :m:
     
  23. water the sea Registered Senior Member

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    6,442
    Oh my. This is getting juicy. The subtext!
     

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