Please stay on topic for a thread. Open a new thread for new topics.
Debate in good faith by addressing rebuttals through the
introduction of additional evidence or by enlarging upon
the argument. Do not merely keep repeating the same
points without further elaboration.
Respect for others is the rule here. Argue the
position, not the person. The Britannica says,
"Usually, in a well-conducted debate, speakers are
either emotionally uncommitted or can preserve
sufficient detachment to maintain a coolly academic
approach."
Make your points by providing supporting evidence and/or
argument. Avoid bare assertions. Because it is often
not possible to tell which points will prove
controversial, it is acceptable to wait until a point is
challenged before supporting it.
Bare links with no supporting discussion should be
avoided. Make the argument in your own words and use
links as supporting references.
Never include material not your own without attribution to the
original source.
Avoid any form of misrepresentation.
Please do not participate as more than one ID. You can
change your user ID by going to your Profile Page
and creating a new alias.
When introducing a new topic, please keep the post
narrowly focused. Do not include more than a few
points.
Do not cut-n-paste long excerpts into message boxes.
Please instead introduce the point in your own words and
provide a link to your source as a reference. If your
source is not on-line you may contact the Site Administrator
to have it made available on-line.
Enforcement
The editing and deletion of posts by moderators is not
practiced here, though the occasional off-color and
off-topic posts from kids are usually deleted.
Enforcement begins with warnings posted to the thread
where the violations are taking place. Persistent
violations eventually result in the suspension of
posting privileges. Posting privileges can be restored
by sending an email request to the Site Administrator.
Banning is reserved for hackers and trolls.
