Any interest in formal debate?

[Saydrah]

Broomjockey has repeatedly pointed out that my arguments in another thread are not constructed forensically as would be appropriate in formal debate. I've tried this on other forums and gotten next to no interest, but I participate on occasion in a few forums dedicated specifically to formal, scored debate, and would be glad to try something similar here. I'd prefer if someone else who is more experienced specifically in online debate were able to act as a moderator, but if there is enough interest but no one willing to take on that role, we could try it without a moderator or scoring/judging.

I've put this in politics since that's the most usual setting for formal debate in our society (besides high school and college, that is).

Anyway, anyone interested in debates on a specific topic, adhering to rules of forensics, potentially with scores given and winners declared?

[Giggle Goose]

Paging DarthRetard? He's the go-to guy for that stuff. He'll love me for saying it, too.

[Puckishone]

Sounds good to me...I've been in a similar spot to you, Saydrah, as far as wanting but getting the crickets in response. I'm not sure we're going to be able to find anyone to score it and do real forensic moderation, but I'd be happy with a little Socratic back-and-forth and rules of logic and all that jazz.

[DarthRetard]

Darthretard just got his page. Yes, I am a high school debate coach, and am experienced in every kind of formal/organized forensics competition.

The kind we typcially do is oral communication-wise, but I can modify it to where it'll work online. Give me a couple days to work it out.

[Greenday]

If we are going to do a major debate, let's make it's something REALLY controversial, where people shed tears within a minute or two. That's how you know it's a good one

[DarthRetard]

Unfortunately, that's not how it works. You see those presidential debates on tv? That's a crock of shit that a starving ethiopian fly wouldnt touch if emeril made it himself.

Forensics, as it's called, is a structured system with rules, speaking times(if done orally)and a structured basis for determining a winner and loser.

[Melxb]

I would love to participate in a formal, on-line debate.

DarthRetard, do you coach for an NFL school? I was in the NFL in high school (way back in the early 90's!!) and did Team Debate for a bit (I think it's called policy debate now-- 2 vs 2??). I eventually got too selfish and moved to Lincoln Douglass debate. I made it to my state tournament my senior year, but didn't qualify for Nationals. Yeah, I wasn't that good.

If you do eventually set something up, I'd love to participate.

[Saydrah]

Darth, IMO you're totally right about the presidential debates. I still love to watch them, but looking at videos of Dubya from his debate scholarship days, or even his gubernatorial debates (much more structured), you can see an articulate debater that hasn't shown his face in either of his presidential campaigns. I think that's because his strength isn't in responding to the unexpected; it's in preparation of a solid message and sticking to it, which lends itself much more to a structured debate like Bush competed in as a youth than to the silliness on TV for presidential elections.

[DarthRetard]

Castro was a well known college debater too. Gen. Wesley Clark was captain of his team. The National Forensics League (the authority for high school and college debate) has had such members as Oprah Winfrey, Kelsey Grammar, Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter and numerous actors and celebrities.

[Slytovhand]

I'm a little interested, but my background is philosophy itself, with formal rules of logic. I've got a copy of Logical Fallacies on my desktop (who said I'm a geek ).

How would you set up a time limit? Other than in a chat room? Besides, then comes the issue of typing speed - not to mention net connections.

First topic? How about "Is debating is a waste of time?"

For the Yea team - "Yes, it is" end of speech

We did a debate where I used to work... That change is as good as a holiday. I was on the Affirmative team....somehow, we lost