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Anyone interested in a different kind of debate? Assigned sides, etc

Poll: Anyone interested in a different kind of debate?

Would you be interested in this kind of debate?

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#1 User is offline   Spoon Poetic Icon

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 04:57 PM

So, someone would decide on a topic that has very clear-cut sides (not likely a topic that has some sort of middle-of-the-road compromise that would make everyone happy). Then everyone that was participating would be assigned a side - and hopefully several people would be debating the side that they don't actually agree with. I like doing this sometimes because it's fun for me to see if I can actually do it. Like, if I can step outside of my own beliefs for a moment and put together a good, coherent argument for the other side. When I first signed up for these forums I tried doing that a couple of times but then everyone thought that that's how I really felt about topics, and so I stopped because I didn't want people getting the wrong impression. But in a thread like this, your real beliefs don't matter, you're just debating for the sake of debate and you won't get judged by what you argue for or against.

I'm not suggesting anything as formal as like, a point system or anything. Just having to debate something on a side you wouldn't normally choose. It's challenging, and I find it fun - though I admit to being a big geek. Also, it can solve some of the problems the Debate Club has from time to time with almost everyone agreeing so the debate dies, or one person frantically tries to argue against 25 other people that are all against his/her ideas.

So, the poll's up there, and also please give me some feedback on this idea. I didn't want to start anything without being sure some people would be interested, so yeah... Thanks smile.gif

This post has been edited by Spoon Poetic: 04 October 2007 - 05:08 PM

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#2 User is offline   Slade Icon

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 05:02 PM

Heh. This sounds fun, Spoon. It would be good for people to have to research both sides of a debate and find the convincing arguments for each side, instead of the name calling or fallicious things that tend to show up here. (Though I'm proud of the Debatia members for not insulting one another too often lately!)

You can count me in for either side of a debate, and I shall argue it to the best of my ability.
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#3 User is offline   Cobnat Icon

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 05:34 PM

This is a good idea, especially since I have good Pro’s and Con’s for nearly any topic imaginable.

QUOTE (Spoon Poetic @ Oct 4 2007, 01:57 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
and so I stopped because I didn't want people getting the wrong impression.


How shallow.

This post has been edited by Cobnat: 04 October 2007 - 05:36 PM

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#4 User is offline   civilian_number_two Icon

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 06:01 PM

I argue that it is not shallow.

Also, toilet paper rolls must always load so that the paper rolls over the top, not the bottom. Go.
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#5 User is offline   Jordan Icon

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 06:25 PM

Since you started the thread, spoon, come up with some topics. Or if that's too much work for you, we should all message you topics and then you can compile them in this thread.

I also say this thread be heavily moderated, like bondesque posts be deleted immediately, anything drifting off topic gets deleted, name calling (unless it's witty) gets bleeped etc..

It will be a really strict thread. That way the flow of the debate will be clean and easy to follow. We could also have a rule that each side gets one turn to post or whatever. Team A, Team B, Team A, Team B..moderator calls for conclusion when he/she feels the debate is running dry... Team A conclusion Team B conclusion.

Then we could have spectators rate the debate! Maybe i'm going overboard, but just a few ideas of mine for the pot.
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#6 User is offline   Mirithorn Icon

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 07:30 PM

I would also like that.

I'm not saying I CAN debate, but I can debate a whole lot better than I can make decisions.
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#7 User is offline   Spoon Poetic Icon

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 07:42 PM

I like what Jordan suggested, but some other people might not like it so strict. Anyone that wants to give feedback on that issue please do so. Maybe a compromise; like definitely one-liners and things that don't contribute get deleted, but more than one member of the same team can post in a row if they have something significant to add to the previous poster's argument... I dunno; feedback, pleases!

And yeah, I could totally come up with topics. Though, it's not that hard to come up with something people can argue about. And others could suggest them, too; I wouldn't try and monopolize the coming-up-with-topics bit or anything.
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#8 User is offline   Cobnat Icon

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Posted 04 October 2007 - 07:51 PM

Topic: Abortion.

My side: Pro-Life.

I await the case of the opposition.
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#9 User is offline   Ninja Duck Icon

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Posted 07 October 2007 - 10:40 PM

Wait, is this thread for debating or for discussing the possibility of debating?

The idea sounds painful and fun. What's not to like?
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#10 User is offline   Spoon Poetic Icon

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Posted 08 October 2007 - 11:16 AM

Well I think Cobnat kinda killed this thread. But yeah, it's a discussion on whether we should try a debate that assigns sides. I think based on the (sadly limited amount of) feedback I received, I will go ahead and go with it in the near future (just not today because I feel crappy). If anyone has any topic preferences, let me know - I really don't want to do abortion, though. It gets too ugly too fast, and it's been done so many times already.
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#11 User is offline   Despondent Icon

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Posted 08 October 2007 - 02:08 PM

Hope you're feeling better soon, Spoon Poetic.

Last week on Beauty and the Geek, they did this thing where the "beauties" (there's a guy with them this year) debated over fun topics like making drunk driving more legal (something like that) or making cannibas legal. The guy won it and Susan Estrich was one of the judges.

As far as arguing for the sake of arguing, I don't have debate experience but I'm kinda crafty at turning things around on people when it comes to topics I don't give a darn about. Not so much as the heavyweights around here do with "real" points, but it sounds like fun.

It's the "legitimate" bickering that I don't really care for. tongue.gif
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#12 User is offline   reiner Icon

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Posted 08 October 2007 - 02:55 PM

It's not a bad idea, was something I enjoyed a couple of times back in high school. I'd like to see how one of these debates would turn out.
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#13 User is offline   Cobnat Icon

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Posted 11 October 2007 - 12:10 AM

QUOTE (Spoon Poetic @ Oct 8 2007, 08:16 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
Well I think Cobnat kinda killed this thread. But yeah, it's a discussion on whether we should try a debate that assigns sides. I think based on the (sadly limited amount of) feedback I received, I will go ahead and go with it in the near future (just not today because I feel crappy). If anyone has any topic preferences, let me know - I really don't want to do abortion, though. It gets too ugly too fast, and it's been done so many times already.


What the bloody hell? “It gets too ugly too fast, and it's been done so many times already” so what doesn’t get “too ugly too fast” and hasn’t “been done so many times already”? How about we just debate which topic can aspire to Spoon's standards.
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#14 User is offline   Spoon Poetic Icon

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Posted 11 October 2007 - 08:36 AM

I think abortion has been debated to death. That's all. And people get really really mean and defensive about the topic, and that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. It's the only preference I have. And I didn't say "We're not doing it period" I just gave my preference that I don't want to. If enough people want to, we'll do it. I think I'll get one started this Monday or Tuesday but no one has given me preferences for a topic except abortion (which leaves one vote for, one vote against that topic) so if no one helps me out here I'm just gonna pick something.
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#15 User is offline   Cobnat Icon

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Posted 11 October 2007 - 03:54 PM

QUOTE (Spoon Poetic @ Oct 11 2007, 05:36 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>
I think abortion has been debated to death. That's all. And people get really really mean and defensive about the topic, and that's exactly what I'm trying to avoid. It's the only preference I have. And I didn't say "We're not doing it period" I just gave my preference that I don't want to. If enough people want to, we'll do it. I think I'll get one started this Monday or Tuesday but no one has given me preferences for a topic except abortion (which leaves one vote for, one vote against that topic) so if no one helps me out here I'm just gonna pick something.

You have to understand that every subject will be touchy for most people. Alright, another subject… I really cant think of anything that hasn’t been “done to death”.
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