Welcome. You've stumbled upon the dA debate club.

Let's go over a few ground rules:

Be courteous to all other members of the crew. We are all subject to the etiquette policy.

It should be obvious, but the idiocy of the common man should never be underestimated, so I'll mention this: be prepared to debate. If you want to state your opinions and never have them attacked, questioned or otherwise discussed, you do not belong here.

Be prepared to debate properly. There is a fine line between flaming and debating. Do not cross it. No debate should ever become a bitchfight.
There is a fine line between flaming and debating. Do not cross it.

There. Not so difficult, are they? Now, let's go over the purpose of the crew:

dA Debate Crew is

A place to have debates with others interested in debating. Sounds obvious, but we've gone over the dangers of assuming everyone has common sense.

A place to rationally explain your views and explore the views of others.

A place to discuss current events and other political or social issues.

dA Debate Crew is not

A place to have silly arguments totally outside the parameters of debate.

A place bursting with friendly agreement.

A place to spam, troll or otherwise affect negatively.

Loose ends I'd like to stress:

There are a few rules to the sort of debate that I'd like to see here. Typically, Lincoln-Douglas debate is the accepted format for one-on-one debate. However, it's a bit impractical for usage on the internet, so I'd like only to retain a few of its canon principles:

1.) Be prepared to back up your contentions (arguments) with credible evidence. Anecdotal evidence is not credible.

2.) Keep the insults to yourself. Calling someone a fool might (unfortunately) be understandable at times, but 'motherfucker' and the like can be left to other venues. Responding to a post with only insults, no matter how based you may see them in reality, does not count as a proper rebuttal.

3.) Typically, someone in the debate will lose. Look at it as a learning experience and don't harbour hard feelings. Don't sulk, don't bitch, don't whine. Typing 'I stand corrected' is not a difficult thing to do.

4.) If someone concedes to you, be polite and accept it. Belittling someone after a concession has been made is unfair and abusive.

5.) 'I'M ALLOWED TO HAVE MY OWN OPINION' is not a proper rebuttal, either. Those who use it automatically lose the debate.

That's about it for rules and regulation. I, =Unch am serving as the president of the club. There are also Senators, who have 'mod-like' powers. This means if they tell you you're outside the rules, you need to take heed.

The following explains how the club works.

The submissions to be discussed come from the club members. You, the club member, are free to note a submission for debate at any time, and I'll post them as a deviation. The debate will follow in the form of comments, obviously. Here is an example of a proper submission:

Topic: Green Apples

My opinion of green apples is ________. I think green apples are ________ based on ____. This claim is based on the evidence submitted to the London Journal of Apples by a Dr. Appleface. I also believe that green apples are ________ based on the ideas of Mr. Applehead: _________. Red apples seem to be _______, as do yellow. Typically, green apples are much more ________, as is proven by the American Apple Report. Blah, blah, blah.

Here is an example of an unacceptable submission:

Topic: America

omg i h8 america so much omfg wtf bush iz an idiot hes totaly a dictater wtf anarky rox lol

Having said all that, please note your worthy submissions to me on both this account and =Unch, as it would be assured to reach me that way.

How to join:

1.) Add *da-debate-crew onto your watch list and link it in your signature. When I see the addition, I'll add you as well.


That's all. Welcome again; please enjoy your stay.

Current Members:

President:

Senators:

Citizens:




NEWS:

We have a chat! [link] Step in some time.

Also: The NFL topic for January and Frebruary is: Corporations ought to be held to the same moral standards as individuals.