I notice a lot of debate and discussional threads on issues in the world are being locked just because they cause argument and disagreement. So I think it's grand time we have a new section on the forum. A debate section so we can place these discussions threads there to disagree and argue.
I have been on plenty of forums with a debate section. We all have a clear rule that what is said in the debate section, stays in the debate section. And it has been quite affective. How do you know something is going to turn bad or ugly witjout trying it? Look at what you are saying about your members, look at the message you are sending. You don't trust them well enough. For the most part WF seems like it's full of consenting mature adults. And even if there are still younger members they surely carry themselves more highly then most.
I hate the idea of a debate thread. I've been to several that had one and for some reason, all those forums were filled with resentment and passive aggressive hate between various members towards each other. We don't have debates here. We have discussions, which is how I think it should stay. There's just a different feel to the word that seems to diffuse the aftermath of actual debate threads. Plus, once we put in a debate thread, it's not about writing anymore. We'll get dozens of members who just want to argue with other members. Writingforums.com. I left there because of that! To much animosity in every thread as a result of debate discussions. And to add to it, the review section just didn't get the attention a writing workshop site deserved. This is a writing workshop. We come here to hang out and talk writing; our discussions fit under hanging out. We discuss stuff we don't try to argue it. Once a thread goes into pure bitter argument mode, the mods close it which is good cause lord knows I'll be banned in a heart beat if they let it keep going XD. If a member wants to actually debate, they can go to a debate forum of which there are very many.
