Sinner Debate

[munchingfoo]

[Crossposted for maximum exposure - Fawksie]

I've been thinking about this this morning. Would anyone be interested in taking part in the first live sinner debate?

The rules would follow pretty much along the same lines as a normal debate, except it would take place on the sinner.

Suggested order and rules:

Opening post by chair with the usual introductions. - wait 5 minutes for people to read it.

Prop 1 then post their prepared speech (fixed word length). - wait 10 minutes for people to read and for the other speakers to post POIs in the form of "POI - Para X Sentence Y". Prop 1 then has the chance to accept with a reply or refuse.

The POIs with replies, if any, are then edited into prop 1's post and the POIs are deleted.

Repeat 5 times, with further speakers having the chance to embellish their prepared speeches with counters in the normal way.

Then we have a poll for prop or op.

We then open to the floor where any user can submit 1 reply. (moderators will ensure this). Perhaps we can also have a "nice bottle of port" for the best reply?

Sounds like a good experiment to me. Would anyone like to speak (type)? The motion would be something novel, obviously, and I'd be open to suggestions.

[Kegrad]

I've been thinking about this this morning. Would anyone be interested in taking part in the first live sinner debate?

The rules would follow pretty much along the same lines as a normal debate, except it would take place on the sinner.

Suggested order and rules:

Opening post by chair with the usual introductions. - wait 5 minutes for people to read it.

Prop 1 then post their prepared speech (fixed word length). - wait 10 minutes for people to read and for the other speakers to post POIs in the form of "POI - Para X Sentence Y". Prop 1 then has the chance to accept with a reply or refuse.

The POIs with replies, if any are then edited into prop 1's post and the POIs are deleted.

Repeat 5 times, with further speakers having the chance to embellish their prepared speeches with counters in the normal way.

Then we have a poll for prop or op.

We then open to the floor where any user can submit 1 reply. (moderators will ensure this). Perhaps we can also have a "nice bottle of port" for the best reply?

Sounds like a good experiment to me. Would anyone like to speak (type)? The motion would be something novel, obviously, and I'd be open to suggestions.

Sounds like you've thought of a web 2.0 thing that hasn't been done! Quickly, somebody grab debatr.com, we're gonna be rich!

[Owen Wilton]

A while ago someone showed me this website:

http://www.debate.org/

It seems to follow the same principles.

[Jono]

Sounds good to me! I suggest we make use of our non-affiliation to the Union and/or university, and do a motion the UDS couldn't ordinarily get away with.

[munchingfoo]

What, like, "This House Would Create A White Supremacy Fascist Dictatorship and Gas the {insert minority here}"?

[Jono]

More like: "This house has no confidence in the Union/Univeristy would scrap STAR/MUSfund/Societies/UDS/etc.." etc." The UDS is reliant, in part, on grants from the Union to exist, and the University to lease out its rooms, and so isn't really tailored to launch a debate in which either would be forced to defend a controversial record.

[munchingfoo]

I was thinking of something a little more light hearted to kick us off...

[RandomMusings]

I was thinking of something a little more light hearted to kick us off...

THB that the moon is made of cheese......

.... you mean that kind of light-hearted?

[munchingfoo]

NO, but I mean something that might cause excessive anger from people reading it.

Maybe I'm wrong about the union one, it could be okay.

[Haunted]

This message board believes that human breeding should be regulated.

[Owen Wilton]

A debate carping about the Union, i.e. every other day on The Sinner.

Some of the motions may be too nerdy, but you could scan these sites for inspiration:

http://flynn.debating.net/motions2.htm

http://wiki.idebate.org/index.php/Welco ... tepedia%21

http://www.debate-motions.info/

There are some stylish, quirky debates tucked away. (You'll have to wade through the IR/social policy ones.)

Best,
Owen

[Power Metal Dom]

Hm might be a tad complicated to run smoothly. But hey it's well worth a try. I know for a fact we have some articulate and erudite posts during our many shitstorms.

[munchingfoo]

Having a look at those links, this one seems quite good. "This house believes there's nothing quite like a McDonalds"

Although, in its current form it's a bit ambiguous and would need to be edited slightly.

[Duggeh]

How about a debate on the sinner on having a debate on the sinner?

[munchingfoo]

That was my first idea actually. Something along the lines of "THBT e-debating is the future". Although I think it might be a little to paradoxical for our needs.

[Owen Wilton]

"THBT e-debating is the future" is, as you suggest, a bit too self-referential, and, to an extent, self-proving.

Do you want something Internet-related? You could have something on Internet surveillance, although I imagine it would be difficult to find people to argue in favour of that. I suppose that's the challenge: you could do a draw, so that the (courageous) volunteers can't specify which side they'll take. (Am I straying into online IV territory? )

You could have the Elton John Debate: This Message Board Would Shut Down the Internet for Five Years.

This Message Board Believes the Internet will be the Downfall of Civilisation?

It just occurred to me that you could, as well as taking the poll, appoint a couple of judges to give feedback on the "table" speeches. Moderators, perhaps?

[David Bean]

Sounds like a fun initiative!

One debate I'd dearly love to see, which certainly ticks the 'controversial' box, is "This House Believes that 'Sharia Law' is an Oxymoron".

I'd also love to see "This House Would Legalise All Drugs", although that one is rather more likely to make it to Parliament Hall.

[the Empress]

unrelated, but was wondering: why is DB's joining date 1970? Can you alter it yourself or something?

[Fawksie]

There exist users who signed up on the old Sinner before it was made to record the sign-up dates. When the users got migrated to this system, those with no sign-up date got issued with the default one, the start of the UNIX Epoch, 1st January 1970.

[Jono]

A debate carping about the Union, i.e. every other day on The Sinner.

But then all organised debates are exercises in talking at people who aren't listening! Seriously though, the Union is as good a subject as any, although probably a little heavy-going to begin with.

I'm liking the form this seems to be taking! I'd definitely be up for carping for one side or another, depending on what we decide on. Shall we set a date? Start of Revision week perhaps?