Counterbalance
Registered Senior Member
SCIFORUM’S SUMMER DEBATE FEST 2002...?
Providing all is approved by the site administrator...(who has not been approached about this matter in advance)...and providing members are interested in participating...
Please read over these suggestions and offer your approval, or your own ideas for each of the following:
1. Date of online festival: Sometime between mid-June and late July. What dates work best?
2. Team captains may be nominated and selected by a majority vote, or be appointed by Porfiry. Team captains would be chosen before team members.
3. Team captains can invite any registered member to join their team and/or members may volunteer to join a team. Team captains have final say on who joins, regardless.
4. All teams will be comprised of an equal number of members. (2? 3? 4? More?)
5. Topics to be debated may be...
(a) chosen by Porfiry,
(b) suggested by Porfiry and voted on by the members,
(c) suggested and voted upon by the members,
(d) a special “topic selection” committee may be appointed.
6.Only appointed members of the teams chosen to debate/discuss a given topic are allowed to post on their “official” debate thread. Anyone who violates this rule would be banned from posting for the duration of the festival.
7. Anyone not on a team who wishes to voice their own opinion may do so on a “Have Your Own Say About Debate #2 or #3 or whatever...” thread--where anyone may post his/her view of the ongoing arguments. Team members would not be allowed to “carry over” the debate to a “general” thread until after the end of the festival. (Team members may post elsewhere, just not on the “official” topics.)
8. A set of rules may be drawn up describing what is to be the proper debate OR discussion form for this festival, including rules of etiquette, rules regarding order of responses, etc.... Members may offer suggestions for rules. Team Captains will vote on the set of rules to be used. Once agreed upon, said rules will be enforced by the team captains not engaged in the debate where an alleged infraction has occurred. Those participating in the debate will accept the ruling of the other team captains. (An incentive for all to choose wisely if voting is the method used to select team captains?)
Any dispute over enforcement of a rule may be settled by Porfiry within a 48 hr. time period beginning from the point at which a debate has been “flagged“, or by a member appointed by Porfiry. Disputes over rule enforcement would not be incorporated by team members into the content of the official debate.
9. Any member nominated for any position may decline the nomination (of course).
10. Well before the Debate Fest is to commence, it shall be agreed upon by all who will participate... which definitions of selected words, e.g., “Religion,” “Evidence,” or “Proof” that will be accepted throughout a given debate or discussion. If a team member wishes to introduce a “new” definition, the addition would need the approval of both team captains before the new definition could be introduced to the debate, and must be publicly “sanctioned” by the team captains. Without the sanction of both captains, the new definition will be thrown out.
Misc:
The above "rules" are offered merely as suggestions.
Again, providing there is sufficient interest in making this event happen, by offering suggestions now for how the thing can be done, and what kind of topics will be “resolved,” participating members are given ample time to research and prepare their arguments.
Frequent communication between team members may become necessary at times, though I see no need for anyone to divulge private info (phone numbers, etc.)
Would it be a good idea to impose age restrictions for participants?
If, for whatever reason, a team member wishes to resign his position, or a team captain wishes to replace a member, either should be free to do so before the debates begin. Advisable, perhaps, to have an “understudy” in the wings for each team.
Winning teams may be chosen by a majority vote, by a special committee, or by the admin. Suggestions?
Prizes...? I dunno. Perhaps the members of the winning teams can have their names listed on a locked “Hall of Fame” thread where additional winner’s names can be added every season. Suggestions?
This is nothing but a blue print. Suggestions are welcome from all.
Anyone interested in “overseeing” the initial or continued organization of such an event is also welcome to volunteer. I'm sharing an idea, and not volunteering for the job myself.
Finally, if site administration does not approve, or if too few members are interested, then it’s a no go.
~~~
Sincere thanks,
Counterbalance
~~~
The following links provide instructional information about debating. They have not been thoroughly investigated but do appear to offer common definitions for interested participants.
http://www.wf.carleton.ca/Museum/Evolution/q.html
http://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith//courses98/rules.htm
http://www.triviumpursuit.com/speech_debate/what_is_debate.htm
Providing all is approved by the site administrator...(who has not been approached about this matter in advance)...and providing members are interested in participating...
Please read over these suggestions and offer your approval, or your own ideas for each of the following:
1. Date of online festival: Sometime between mid-June and late July. What dates work best?
2. Team captains may be nominated and selected by a majority vote, or be appointed by Porfiry. Team captains would be chosen before team members.
3. Team captains can invite any registered member to join their team and/or members may volunteer to join a team. Team captains have final say on who joins, regardless.
4. All teams will be comprised of an equal number of members. (2? 3? 4? More?)
5. Topics to be debated may be...
(a) chosen by Porfiry,
(b) suggested by Porfiry and voted on by the members,
(c) suggested and voted upon by the members,
(d) a special “topic selection” committee may be appointed.
6.Only appointed members of the teams chosen to debate/discuss a given topic are allowed to post on their “official” debate thread. Anyone who violates this rule would be banned from posting for the duration of the festival.
7. Anyone not on a team who wishes to voice their own opinion may do so on a “Have Your Own Say About Debate #2 or #3 or whatever...” thread--where anyone may post his/her view of the ongoing arguments. Team members would not be allowed to “carry over” the debate to a “general” thread until after the end of the festival. (Team members may post elsewhere, just not on the “official” topics.)
8. A set of rules may be drawn up describing what is to be the proper debate OR discussion form for this festival, including rules of etiquette, rules regarding order of responses, etc.... Members may offer suggestions for rules. Team Captains will vote on the set of rules to be used. Once agreed upon, said rules will be enforced by the team captains not engaged in the debate where an alleged infraction has occurred. Those participating in the debate will accept the ruling of the other team captains. (An incentive for all to choose wisely if voting is the method used to select team captains?)
Any dispute over enforcement of a rule may be settled by Porfiry within a 48 hr. time period beginning from the point at which a debate has been “flagged“, or by a member appointed by Porfiry. Disputes over rule enforcement would not be incorporated by team members into the content of the official debate.
9. Any member nominated for any position may decline the nomination (of course).
10. Well before the Debate Fest is to commence, it shall be agreed upon by all who will participate... which definitions of selected words, e.g., “Religion,” “Evidence,” or “Proof” that will be accepted throughout a given debate or discussion. If a team member wishes to introduce a “new” definition, the addition would need the approval of both team captains before the new definition could be introduced to the debate, and must be publicly “sanctioned” by the team captains. Without the sanction of both captains, the new definition will be thrown out.
Misc:
The above "rules" are offered merely as suggestions.
Again, providing there is sufficient interest in making this event happen, by offering suggestions now for how the thing can be done, and what kind of topics will be “resolved,” participating members are given ample time to research and prepare their arguments.
Frequent communication between team members may become necessary at times, though I see no need for anyone to divulge private info (phone numbers, etc.)
Would it be a good idea to impose age restrictions for participants?
If, for whatever reason, a team member wishes to resign his position, or a team captain wishes to replace a member, either should be free to do so before the debates begin. Advisable, perhaps, to have an “understudy” in the wings for each team.
Winning teams may be chosen by a majority vote, by a special committee, or by the admin. Suggestions?
Prizes...? I dunno. Perhaps the members of the winning teams can have their names listed on a locked “Hall of Fame” thread where additional winner’s names can be added every season. Suggestions?
This is nothing but a blue print. Suggestions are welcome from all.
Anyone interested in “overseeing” the initial or continued organization of such an event is also welcome to volunteer. I'm sharing an idea, and not volunteering for the job myself.
Finally, if site administration does not approve, or if too few members are interested, then it’s a no go.
~~~
Sincere thanks,
Counterbalance
~~~
The following links provide instructional information about debating. They have not been thoroughly investigated but do appear to offer common definitions for interested participants.
http://www.wf.carleton.ca/Museum/Evolution/q.html
http://ontology.buffalo.edu/smith//courses98/rules.htm
http://www.triviumpursuit.com/speech_debate/what_is_debate.htm