castledoom.com

[JuntaJoe]

Welcome to the Chopping Block.

What do we do here? It can be termed soapboxing, debating, opinionating, or just plain arguing.

That’s what we do in the Chopping Block.


But the Block has some rules to keep the peace. This can be a volatile place. So some ground rules are needed to avoid flame wars and meltdowns.

What can be discussed here? Almost anything. But moderators still rule the day here.

Hate speech is banned. Using links to hate sites is banned. Supporting the goals of hate groups is banned. There will be no flexibility in this rule. Hate speech is a term for speech intended to hurt and intimidate someone because of their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. It will be removed promptly and punishment will be levied. Moderators will adjudicate what is hate speech based on the principle of this link:

http://www.wordiq.com/definition/Hate_speech


Rote dogma will be severely curtailed without supporting facts and logic.

Religion and politics have a lot of rote dogma. Merely parroting it gives no basis for good argument.

If your dogma is challenged and no supporting logic or facts follow then expect the discussion to be closed.

Excessive emphasis is in poor taste. Boldening and all caps should be reserved for a single critical point being made. Enlarging text or making banners is also in poor taste. Moderators will simply clean up these posts without your consultation.

Personal attacks are potentially flaming and will be put under the microscope for validity. Moderators have sole discretion on adjudicating this behavior. Penalties can be swift and severe.

Follow the motto here that what is said in the Block stays in the Block.

We will not let this material get dragged all over the forum.

If you can’t compartmentalize your mind well enough to do this then you have no business being here.

A person’s language skills are not relevant here for the purposes of proving a point. If you can’t understand what someone is saying then plainly ask them to be clearer. Castigating them over this will get you punished. On the same note, it is incumbent on the posters to use the best English skills of which they are capable. Intentionally sloppy language usage will be removed or modified without recourse.

I give a fair amount of latitude in this board to encourage spirited argument.

But all that rope can hang yourself as well.

Just because I let you start something doesn’t mean I’ll let you finish it.

Again I’ll say that moderators rule the day here. Suspensions, banning, reporting to ISP’s, and a number of lesser punishments can be used to keep the peace. And they will certainly be used if you fail to follow the warnings.


Given these strictures, how do you argue your point?

First and foremost, you need facts. Real facts. Be careful with "official" sources. Having multiple sources certainly helps. Be prepared to defend your facts. Bear in mind that bias is inevitable and rampant in journalism. Just because it is written by a large organization doesn't render it unbiased. Also be extra careful with "official" statistics or polls. They are easily manipulated. Remember this old wisdom: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics.

A safe place to gather facts will always be the international newswire services like AP and UPI. These companies are in the business of merely observing and recording what they see and leaving the spin and opinion out. They leave that aspect to the media sources that buy from them. So skip the second-hand hype and gather info from the same people the media pros use.

Next you need logic. All the facts in the world cannot help you if you can't make a sensible argument out of them. In some ways, logic can be more important than facts. It's what truly makes an argument work. You can win a debate with few facts and iron clad logic.

Lastly, you need opinions, ideas, and hypotheses. While they cannot win an argument, they can sway the audience's and opposition's opinions. While important, remember that these tools cannot ever win a debate on their own. They are the spice, not the meat. Leaning too much on unsupported opinions will ensure your downfall from a seasoned debater.

Be sure you are careful to use the three tools appropriately and not let yourself or the reader get confused about which is which. Don't let the reader confuse an opinion for logic. Be clear about it.

Common courtesy is essential. We can agree to disagree.