I just wanted to start anew, and adjust a couple little details here and there on the rules and such! Nothing major.
There have been a lot of fantastic debates in this section of the forums, so I thought we could make things a bit more "interesting." Here's how it works: I will create profiles on which 2 people will debate one-on-one on a topic of their choosing. You will receive points based on 3 categories: argument strength, evidence, and refutation.
Argument strength is just that - how strong are your arguments. Logical fallacies and cogency of the argument play a strong role here (so, is the argument "correct" and does it make sense). Your spelling and grammar are important also, so either get a browser with spell-check or put your comments in Word or something that can check your spelling. Evidence is articles or journals to which you can provide links to help support your argument. How reliable the evidence is also matters, so Wikipedia articles will not count towards evidence. Refutation means being able to counter what your opponent is saying. If you can point out flaws in their argument or present counter-examples to their arguments then you can get points in this category.
The debate will go on until one debater reaches 10 points, or until one of the debaters fails to post within 48 hours without notice as to why. In that case, that debater will be considered to have forfeit. The winner will have his or her best argument point merited - thus receiving 25 AP! ---- So, if you want to join, just put your name, the topic you would like to debate about. Scoring will go to 10 points. Also include your stance on the topic. Once you have this info posted, you have just given out a challenge and anyone can challenge you. If you would like to challenge someone, then post your name, their name, and the topic. Feel free to create multiple challenges, so long as you can keep track of them all! Once two debaters have been matched, I'll post a link to the profile on which you guys will be debating.
I think that's everything, but here's an example of a challenge:
Name: Devoidless Topic: Does God exist? My stance: God does not exist!
If someone were to challenge me, then they would have to argue an opposing view to mine (in this case, that God does exist).
So, let the debates begin, and if anything is unclear or if I've missed anything then let me know either on this thread or on my profile.
People can just create a second account and then give the one with the points an easy debate and get the merit and the 25 points. Am i right?
Sure you are, but then there's plenty of ways to exploit this system and so this really doesn't pose an *additional* risk. A much faster way of getting fraudulent points would be to spam the game comments section and create accounts to give you referrals. To go so far as to make a fake debate is, well...I don't think those who are interested in this kind of activity would even bother.
Hello. Is it too late to join a Great Debate? I got the idea to join from Ngfan14. So is it too late? I want to watch and maybe pitch in some of my ideas.
The Great Debate is mainly a place for one-on-one debates; pitching ideas is more easily done in the general forum itself, unless you want to debate somebody on a specific topic. However if you can find the various profiles the debates are on, then you can certainly watch ongoing and read previous debates.
Hello all! I have a debate that may seem.....common. But I want to see what different people have to say.
Name: Estel Debate: Abortion Stance: I believe it is wrong under every condition. I may be new to the site, but I am not new to debating! Be prepared...
Haha! I would totally call that one if I knew that I could find someone else to score the debate for me...hmmm. Maybe Moe will get on soon so I can ask him.
