Debate Forum

[Biggskoo]

in response to the both of you: i mean, i ultimately don't really care how you guys decide to handle it for yourselves.  i'm rarely if ever going to post in the forum if you guys get to create it so i'm not going to try to impose myself in any kind of practical way.

i'm merely... conveying the opinion that i may or may not share with others wherein being an insufferable debate "aficionado" carries a certain stigma for many 'round these parts.  i actually completely agree with you both on a semantical basis ââ,¬â€ it's great to have some quickdraw debate terms when you're actually having a, you know, debate ââ,¬â€ but i'm just pointing out that use of such terms and general debate snobbery might rub people the wrong way and start a downward spiral in any given thread.

pointing out logical fallacies is all fine and good (necessary, even) and i'd expect anyone posting in the debate forum would be able to calmly and properly do it, but doing it with some unintentionally inflammatory language given the debate forum's history might be accomplishing it the wrong way if the goal is civility.  and don't think i'm just talking about a few stupid buzzwords, because i'm not, i'm trying to get at the deeper concept of unintentional debate elitism.

look, i know i'm all over the place here, but don't take all this as anything more than "if we're gonna be serious about having a debate forum again, we should probably take care to implement the same elitism-free environment that we're trying to foster everywhere else," which isn't to say an uneducated and dumbed down environment.  to some, the pride in identifying logical missteps clearly and use of some handy terms just makes sense, but to others it might make them feel stupid and push them away.

if everybody wants their debate forum, then i'd like to see them have it, i would.  but we've all seen the forum tank in spectacular fashion multiple times in the past and i think it's worthwhile bringing up concerns like these before we jump right into it.  maybe i'm misattributing reasons, maybe not.  i'd love to hear everyone else's opinions because that's the whole point of this discussion and i'm dying to know if i've come close to hitting the nail on the head for some people or i'm just waaaaay off.

[AlbinoClock]

I completely agree with that sentiment, Biggs. As I mentioned previously, I think we were a bit heavy-handed with the debate forum before and that's not the style of moderation I'd like to see. Better to let the debate itself sort out the logic of things unless someone's hammering away at something totally illogical to the point of disrupting the rest of the discussion. I think we should foster an environment of exploring ideas, not attacking one another.

[WrenchClock]

What's this, some kind of debate-off?

[AlbinoClock]

It's a meta-debate.

[WrenchClock]

A debate to ultimately decide whether or not you can debate some more.

[Thor]

still waiting for the inevitable masturbation pun

[AlbinoClock]

still waiting for the inevitable masturbation pun

Keep waiting.

[AlbinoClock]

Then let's have a logical discussion forum instead of a debate forum, cause this is shaping up to be pretty much the tone I was looking for.

[Asshatclock]

I believe this thread itself is proof that the debate forum is a horrible idea.

[FLOUNDERMAN_CLOCK]

I believe this thread itself is proof that the debate forum is a horrible idea.

Well they're debating right now and they're not being dicks. Biggs Albino and Corpsegrinder are all bringing up good points and being civil.

[AlbinoClock]

I believe this thread itself is proof that the debate forum is a horrible idea.

Please elaborate.

[Biggskoo]

noooo don't take the bait u fewel

[Thor]

Perhaps "Debate Forum" is the wrong name. Plato's Playground was a pretty good name I think, as it conveyed the idea that it was more about the logical discussion of ideas and philosophy and less about presenting arguments in specific formats and then deciding who "won".

[AlbinoClock]

That's a good idea Thor, I have to say I agree.

[Silly Putty Clock]

Debater? I hardly even met her! ORHORHORHOR

But yeah, it would be nice to have it back.