The 10 Commandments of Console Debating.

I have been planning on typing this up ever since I started coming to forums, but the last debate is what pushed me over the edge and made me type this.  I admit I have not followed all of these rules, but I doubt more than a handful of us here actually have.  These are things that we can all work on and try to become more perfect at.  PSX2central forums will be feared by other forums because of our superior debating skills if we practice these rules.


The 10 Commandments of Console Debating:
[list=1]

• Back up everything you say.  There is nothing worse than trying to debate with someone who doesn\'t back up what he says.  If you don\'t agree with something said, explain why you don\'t agree (notice the emphasis on word explain).  It takes two people, and two different ideas to have a debate.
  
  
• Remember the definition of "hearsay" and why they don\'t allow hearsay in court.  Don\'t claim someone said something without a link to it or proof that they said it.
  
  
• Avoid provoking your opponent.
  
  [color=000000]....[/color]A.  Avoid over-use of sarcasm.  Most sarcasm only makes your opponent mad.
  [color=000000]........[/color]Only use sarcasm when you know it won\'t offend others.
  [color=000000]....[/color]B.  Stay away from that rolleyes ( :rolleyes: ) emoticon.
  [color=000000]....[/color]C.  Do not come into a thread and say "this thread is gay."  
  [color=000000]........[/color]If you don\'t like the thread, don\'t read it.
  [color=000000]....[/color]D.  Avoid handing out awards that make someone look stupid.  
  [color=000000]........[/color](i.e. the "open mouth, insert foot" award or the new "tool" award.)
  
  
  
  
• Keep the debate free of childish name calling and profanity.  Even using asterisks (*) instead of actually swearing shows a sign of anger.  Don\'t argue.  Debate.
  
  
• Do not make fun of any grammatical or spelling mistakes.  Making fun of someone\'s grammar is usually used as a last resort when you know you\'ve been beaten but you don\'t want to go down the loser.  There are a lot of possibilities why someone\'s spelling, grammar, or punctuation may not be correct.
  
  [color=000000]....[/color]A.  English may not be the person\'s first language.  This is the internet.  People
  [color=000000]........[/color]can communicate from across the world.
  [color=000000]....[/color]B.  English may not be the person\'s strong point.  English is hard for tons of
  [color=000000]........[/color]people.  It is one of the hardest languages in the world.  The fact that
  [color=000000]........[/color]I can type this Guide to Console Debating is an amazing feat on its own.
  [color=000000]....[/color]C.  Nobody can type perfectly.  Typos are made.  Spelling mistakes happen.
  [color=000000]....[/color]D.  Lisdexia (pun intended )
  
  
  
  
• Do not ignore portions of someone else\'s argument.  If they say something that proves you wrong, acknowledge that they proved you wrong instead of just skipping it and moving on to other stuff they posted.
  
  
• Have an open mind.  It is alright if you believe something, but listen to what others are saying and try to understand why they are saying it.  Don\'t be biased or a fanboy.
  
  
• Don\'t be a poor loser.  If you lose, accept the loss and go on with life.  You will have a chance to redeem yourself later.
  
  
• Don\'t be a poor winner.  If you win, rubbing it in the loser\'s face makes you look immature.  You may have won this debate, but there will be others.  Don\'t get co   
  
• Remember, the purpose of a debate is not to prove your knowledge.  The purpose of a debate is to improve your knowledge.  If all debaters follow these rules, chances are all of them will learn a thing or two from the other debaters.
  [/list=1]
  So what do you think?  Is there any rule up there that you disagree with?  Is there any rule you think should be up there that\'s not?  And don\'t worry, these are only for debates.  You can still cause havoc in a normal thread.  Pass out all the bad awards you want in a normal thread.

Well rule number 2, while agree having proff always helps, when reading articles and finding something important I dont add it to my favorits list or something so a couple of months latter if the subject comes up its kinda hard to prove it.

I agree with most of what\'s said but you forgot about mentioning dyslexia though under the 5th commandment.

Also:
"5 B. English may not be the person\'s strong point. English is hard for tons of people. It is one of the hardest languages in the world."

that i don\'t agree with though. English is by far one of the easist languages to learn, ask any grammar teacher. just wanted to point that out.  

English feels quite easy to learn, but I think that\'s because we\'re all so exposed to the language through movies, music etc. It actually contains lots of weird grammatical rules. I don\'t know where you\'re from JP, but being a native English speaker kinda makes you partial you know.

[Evi]

This is great...  This should be a permanent thread or something...

I\'ve been trying to say this stuff all along...even though I may get hypocritical at times...sorry for that...:shy:

i agree,

Originally posted by Tetrad
Well rule number 2, while agree having proff always helps, when reading articles and finding something important I dont add it to my favorits list or something so a couple of months latter if the subject comes up its kinda hard to prove it.

But without proof of something, the debate won\'t go anywhere.  It will just lead to an "I\'m right!", "No your not!" kind of argument.  It may be hard to find the link, but without proof, there isn\'t a point to having the debate.

JP, I have heard that there are only a few languages that are harder than English.  Like Samwise said, there are way too many rules and exceptions in the English language.  IMO, Japanese is a lot easier than English for one reason:  There are not hundreds of rules and exceptions to those rules.  Spelling in the English language is very hard (I\'ve never been a good speller), but in Japanese, words are spelled exactly like they sound.

And I\'ll Enter Dyslexia in the 5th commandment.

EviscerationX, don\'t worry about it.  Like I said, probably only a handful of us here actually follow those Console Debating Commandments.

No spamming or trolling.

Originally posted by rastalant
No spamming or trolling.

You can\'t spam if you follow rule number 1.  The definition of "trolling" is pretty vague, but I think it is covered in commandments number 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 10.  Wow, being a troll breaks just about every commandment.

Samwise, I\'m from your friendly neighbour Norway.
Well, from all the teachers I\'ve had and from my own experience with
German, Dutch, Finnish, Russian and the Scandinavian languages for that matter,
I know that English isn\'t one of the hardest languages to learn. It isn\'t for me anyway.

All languages contain weird rules so that\'s not unique to English.

But whatever, hehe, I didn\'t mean to make this a language discussion thread when I said it.

11.    Do not use this thread is gay Inappropriately I mean "This thread is Gay" is only to simbolize when a thread has really gone gay. It should not be used  when it is not needed  or it will lose it\'s value. And this thread is gay should be resepected.  And when a thread is labeled gay it should be closed or all replies stop.

^ - uh huh  well that was kinda confusing but i think i got ya

well i think what you are saying ironfist is pretty accurate - although i think that  some of the rules being broken makes the debates more fun to participate in and read but only a little bit not too much or it gets as quddus said - labeled "gay"

but yea i agree with ya mostly

QuDDus, I hate it when people say "this thread is gay," even if the thread is gay.  I say that if the thread really is gay, then everyone would already know that it\'s gay and it is not needed for someone to post "this thread is gay."  And if you think a thread is gay, then don\'t read it.  Small problem, simple solution.  I am changing rule number 3 from "Lay off of the sarcasm" to "Avoid provoking your opponent."  That way I can put a lot more into that rule.

I just thought of another rule.  Avoid handing out the "open mouth, insert foot" award or the new "tool" award.  They only make people more mad.


Sublimesjg, I think that PSX2central forums can be better than all other forums.  If I want to see trolling and ignorance, I\'ll go to any other forum out there and will get it by the bucket load.  That\'s just my 2 cents.

You forgot about rule number 11.

11. Follow rules 1-10.

lol, sorry. Couldn\'t resist.

Originally posted by IronFist
The 10 Commandments of Console Debating:
[list=1]

• Back up everything you say.  There is nothing worse than trying to debate with someone who doesn\'t back up what he says.  If you don\'t agree with something said, explain why you don\'t agree (notice the emphasis on word explain).  It takes two people, and two different ideas to have a debate.

I don\'t agree with this.

• Remember the definition of "hearsay" and why they don\'t allow hearsay in court.  Don\'t claim someone said something without a link to it or proof that they said it.

I don\'t know, my friend said he heard a jury once allowed hearsay, so he says he thinks you\'re wrong.

• Avoid provoking your opponent.
  
  [color=000000]....[/color]A.  Avoid over-use of sarcasm.  Most sarcasm only makes your opponent mad.
  [color=000000]........[/color]Only use sarcasm when you know it won\'t offend others.
  [color=000000]....[/color]B.  Stay away from that rolleyes ( :rolleyes: ) emoticon.
  [color=000000]....[/color]C.  Do not come into a thread and say "this thread is gay."  
  [color=000000]........[/color]If you don\'t like the thread, don\'t read it.
  [color=000000]....[/color]D.  Avoid handing out awards that make someone look stupid.  
  [color=000000]........[/color](i.e. the "open mouth, insert foot" award or the new "tool" award.)

Uh-huh.  Suuuuuuure. :rolleyes: :rolleyes: This whole commandments thing is starting to be pretty gay.

• Keep the debate free of childish name calling and profanity.  Even using asterisks (*) instead of actually swearing shows a sign of anger.  Don\'t argue.  Debate.

You\'re an idiot.  Why am I even **** reading this **** ****?

• Donut make fun of any gRmatical or spelling mistakes.  M4k1|\\|g fun 0f someone\'s gremmor is usually used a$ a last resort when you know you\'ve been beaten but you don-t want to go down TEH loser.  There are a lot of possibilities why someone\'s spling, ammar, un??ctuation may not be correct!!!?;.

0h jah, 7hAt m4dE a L0T of cen7$!  Learn how to spell!

• Do not ignore portions of someone else\'s argument.  If they say something that proves you wrong, acknowledge that they proved you wrong instead of just skipping it and moving on to other stuff they posted.

...

• Have an open mind.  It is alright if you believe something, but listen to what others are saying and try to understand why they are saying it.  Don\'t be biased or a fanboy.

I\'m not even listening anymore.  It\'s obvious I\'m right and you\'re wrong - as always!

• Don\'t be a poor loser.  If you lose, accept the loss and go on with life.  You will have a chance to redeem yourself later.

I don\'t need to redeem myself, I\'m owning you right now!  In your face!  HOW DOES IT FEEL!!!!

So what do you think?

You summed it up pretty nicely, actually.

-Eik