I've been thinking, might it be a good idea to record a list debates that have already taken place on the forum with links to the relevant threads? It might help later on down the line if someone wants to debate god or what is best, chicken or fruit for the 100th time. Maybe have a tally too, to show how what was finally agreed on/won?
I'm undecided about the list, but I would definitely oppose the tally. I don't think that consensus has ever been reached in any of those debates, and declaring a "winner" based on votes will probably produce the longest, most flame-filled debate we've ever had.
Hmm. OK, I'm less "undecided". While I'm fine with a list for reference--here are all the debates about ending a sentence with a preposition, here are all the debates relating to gay rights, here are all the debates relating to women's rights, here are all the debates relating to child abuse--I would definitely oppose having a single thread on each subject. I don't know if that's where you're going, but I wanted to address it just in case anyone does go there. To do so would to a substantial degree silence discussion on that topic. I participate on a forum about perfume, and there's a single thread about "what scent can a man wear to attract women." Every time that subject comes up, the thread is added to the existing thread. That policy essentially ensures that that topic is never really discussed. Now, I think that is to some extent deliberate--everyone got sick to death of that discussion, so putting it in a single thread, and thus silencing it, was useful. But we don't want important subjects silenced. They were moved to the debate room to keep them from drowning other discussion; controlling them more than that would, IMO, silence them.
@Lemex, old boy, you know I love you. I'll even admit to having entertained a small cyber-crush on you for like 7 minutes. But we can't even get the average user to use the search function or post questions outside the bloody, frakking, Cthulhu forsaken General Writing subforum. I don't see a list accomplishing much.
Does anyone actually win a debate? I thought they just debated until the sun goes down and then back up again. The problem with debates in my opinion is that each debater thinks they are right and wont budge an inch.
That's the trouble with unrestrained debates, which, unfortunately, was the consensus of The People as to the format when that subforum was created.
Or maybe we should have one thread that has all the major issues that have come up on WF. The title of the thread could be "Should my gay character be allowed to have an abortion and should I put her thoughts in italics?"
I can't believe I forgot to include God/religion! I guess it's because the recent threads in the Debate Room have all been about other stuff.
At this point, we have enough information to predict every single debate possible on this forum. I could probably write a mock thread and it would be at least semi believable. Chicken or fruit? OP: Hi all, I stumbled upon this controversial, biased article regarding the meat packing industry, and I was hoping we could have a friendly, peaceful discussion about diets that will ultimately lead to veganism, ultra leftists, and 20 reported posts by the end of the week. Here is the link: www.thetruthaccordingtojoeschmoe.com Poster 1: Having ten degrees in such and such fields, I can tell you that corporate America is shoving meat down our throats. This is a direct metaphor of what the patriarchy does to women every day. Humans were meant to eat fruits. It is immoral and wrong to kill our fellow members of the animal kingdom and anyone who eats meat should be slaughtered. Poster 2: The bible says it's OK to eat meat. Religion sucks! Poster 3: I think Vegans look weird.
I like chicken with fruit. And yes, tallies are no way to tell who "won" a debate. In most of them, no one "wins."
