Post by Scarlet. on Mar 25, 2012 23:22:34 GMT -5
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
General Rules.
1. Keep vulgar language to a minimum.
2. No slanderous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, threatening, harassing and/or sexual comments.
3. No excessively violent, pornographic, or offensive images, of any kind.
4. No personal attacks on individuals.
5. Respect other peoples opinions, and people in general.
6. Religious beliefs may not be discussed with in the forums.
7. Try to avoid posting concise messages. At least two sentences per a post, is recommended.
8. No spamming, unless its under randomness. Where post count is disabled.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard RPG Rules.
1. No Godmodding.
-It can be killing or injuring a character without a player's permission.
-It can be when a character simply can’t be hit and dodge all attacks or anything for that matter aimed at them.
-It can also be using other characters that other people RP with. In other words, if you do not RP as Leonardo, then you cannot have Leonardo say anything, or do anything, without the player's permission.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Debate Rules.
Before giving your input on a debate, read the entire post.
Keep an open mind when debating. Some topics in the debate section are very, very touchy. There's an enormous amount of diversity in the section, so be respectful. Any racist, derogatory, degrading, or "flaming" towards another user will be dealt with quickly.
In addition to the rule above, if a user disagrees with your views, don't believe it's a personal attack against you. Tone is very difficult to interpret online especially in a debate setting.
Research, research, research. When reading a thread you are not familiar with, I highly recommend that you do a quick ten to fifteen minute scan of the topic, so that you can at least relate to the user and have a general understanding of the debate.
I can not stress this next rule enough. When you post in a thread, refrain from any means possible from posting five word replies to a topic. An example of this would be, "I do not agree with homosexual marriage." This offers little contribution to the thread and doesn't give the opposition anything to debate with. When you post your opinions in a thread, state your position, explain why you believe in what you do, and provide evidence to back up the other two points.
Cite your sources! If you are providing evidence for your topics, add a link at the bottom of your post to where other users can read and validate your evidence. This prevents users from counterfeiting evidence and helps speed up debates on an astronomical scale.
Use the search button! If you're considering posting a new topic, check if it's already been posted. Some threads like this one are an example of a new 2.0 format. These threads address every major debatable subject of a topic, so there's no need to make a new one. For more information about the 2.0 format, please read the points below under the "Tips" section of this post.
Stay on topic! Simply use your best judgement to analyze if your post in relevant and contributive to the debate.
Post in readable fonts, sizes, and colors so we can all understand easily and efficiently what your trying to say.
Finally, use common sense. This is not a place to vent; it is a place to rationally discuss topics of interest. If you feel yourself getting upset by a comment, take a step back and post later. Passion is great fuel for a debate, but don't let it get out of hand. Please behave accordingly!
Tips on Debating
Use proper grammar. This not only intimidates opponents by making yourself look mature, it also allows readers to understand what your trying to say efficiently.
Do not be intimated by your opponents. You are here to learn and make new friends. No one in this forum is top-dog when it comes to debating. If you are passionate and steadfast in your beliefs, you can hold out against counter attacks. In addition, if someone proves one point of your argument as invalid, do not give up! You can attempt to provide counter evidence, which I recommend, or you can modify your original argument, I do not recommend this as it hurts your thread, but perhaps someone pointed out a minor hole you didn't see so as long as your argument doesn't change drastically, this is an option as well. On the same note, not all topics have to be extremely political, ethical, or popular topics. A debate is not defined by these categories, so if you have something that you feel is debatable by any means and hasn't already been posted then you have full right to do so.
Rebut your opponents arguments. Though this may not be possible in all debates, you should really try to avoid a "tea-party" debate. These types of debates usually consist of two opponents offering evidence for their topic and simply arguing which source is more credible or accurate. Not only do these debates become repetitive, they also kill the thread extremely fast. A good way to keep the debate alive and to keep your opponent on his toes; make your point, read your opponents points, then research your opponents points and evidence and try to find flaws or inaccuracies in them. If this is not possible, then you can resort to finding more credible evidence for your topic to top your opponents.
Do not insult the opposition. Aside from the fact that this is against the rules, resorting to insulting or degrading your opponent only shows one single thing: You can't answer for your beliefs and lost the debate dishonorably. Insulting a debater stoops you to a very low level and makes you look childish.
Heavily research both sides of a debate. The best way to debate is to know what your opponent is going to say before he says it. Not only does this allow you to be prepared with a quick answer, researching your opponents points allows you to find flaws quicker and more efficiently.
Use the 2.0 format when debating large topic. To help me keep this forum organized, I highly recommend using this format when creating a new topic. This prevents users creating topics that are too narrow to really expand upon and helps keep threads alive. The 2.0 format asks for the thread creator to address all debatable points in a topic. An example of this would be a Holocaust thread that addresses the death toll, morality, after affects, and credibility. Another example would be a Barack Obama thread that addresses his policies, symbolism & predictions, and reviews. If you want an example of this in practice, visit this thread. On the other hand, be careful when using this format. Don't abuse it. There are simply some topics that are way to large to use the 2.0 format and must be separated into smaller topics. An example of this would be different types of government. It's simply too overwhelming to create one topic concerning the practicality, morality, success, flaws, etc. for communism, capitalism, anarchy, monarchy, dictatorships, etc. For something of this scale, separate topics concerning one style of government is sufficient.