Intelligent Debate’s Defining Guide. (Section's rules, read before posting)

Elitist Debate is a place for serious discussion and debate.  It can be hard at times to decide if something should be placed in this forum or otherwise, and sometimes this can be changed depending on how the thread unfolds. Basically, if you can imagine an argument arising over it, it is best to post it here.

For the rules covered in this guide, in the order of which they appear, here is a list:

Elitist Debate Rules

• There IS NO SUCH THING as the I'm Right Argument
• Do Respect Other People's Beliefs
• There is a Difference Between Flaming and Beliefs
• Grammar & Spelling
• What Can You Post/What Can't You Post

Elitist Debate Rules and Notes:
Sources & the "There IS NO SUCH THING as the I'm Right Argument"
If you say something is a fact, prove it if you can.  Show a source.  If you can't find a source, that's fine as long as you present it as your opinion.  Saying someone is an idiot for not seeing things the way you do without a convincing argument, including sourced materials, is not going to get you very far.  In fact, chances are it will dampen your arguments.
Also make sure you read your sources properly. And check what your sources actually are. A Christian cannot prove certain things as "fact" using christian articles as "proof", for example.

Do Respect Other People's Beliefs
We don't all pray to the same figure, or even pray to begin with.  We are a global forum, whether you like to believe it or not.  We, as a collective member base, come from multiple cultures from around the world, have different political theories and practices.  We come from different economical backgrounds, we come from different social classes.  Taboo to you may be second nature to somebody else, so please be respectful.  Your funny beliefs make us laugh just as much as ours make you, but that's no reason for everyone to wipe dirt all over it.

There is a Difference Between Flaming and Beliefs
If someone has a different thought than you on a particular topic, and I can't stress this enough, and they happen to think your way is a bit wrong compared to theres, it doesn't signify they are attacking you.  Sure, people will get naturally defensive about their core beliefs.  But unless they actually flamed or trolled you, or another, there is nothing wrong there.

Grammar & Spelling
Now, we're not all English professors, and many of us don't speak the language natively, so naturally some give exists, but this board is a mature and serious forum. As such a certain level of, let's call it professionalism, is warranted.  Simply put, do your best to convey your point as clear and proper as humanly possible.  Discouraging any argument you may have by typing it so incoherently is only going to get you ignored.

Links, Images, and Media Based Arguments
Some people think it's clever to post a video and walk away, others find it annoying.
Not everyone can view video where they are when viewing this site, and it can cause problems for others.  By using a video you are not debating a topic to anyone who'll listen, but only those who simply felt like clicking the url.

On the other hand, using the video as an extra, or as your source if you quoted from it, is perfectly fine.  You may have an argument, and feel that a video file could clear in the gaps or enforce it, which is perfectly fine.  However do not - and I repeat do not - simply type in a URL and walk away.  Before posting, remove all images, links to other sites, or video links, and see if your post is worth posting.  If not, revise.  If so, the you are in the clear.

What Can You Post/What Can't You Post
The easiest way to answer this is to look around and see what other people post.  There is often a case where someone posts what should have been a General Discussion topic in the Symposium, and vice-versa of course.  Generally speaking, if there is no real debate to the topic, it is not an ED worthy post.  While ED doesn't have to include debate topics always, it would be a rare occurrence.

This is win.

Fuck these stupid ass rules. I'll post what I want, when I want.

Edit: dildos.

Stop being such a cunt.

I would say I agree with you, but it's against the rules.

Fuck these stupid ass rules. I'll post what I want, when I want.

Edit: dildos.

You see, we have these little delete buttons, making your attempts rather vain. These rules where agreed upon by the moderators and administrators, get over it.

[edit] Perhaps if you had read the bottom part it would tell you veterans of the debating section are given a lot of tolerance to the rules, that would include you moron. This is basically here for the newer members.

Well, it's their opinion. Post whatever you want just don't make it as if you pulled it out of your ass and are trying to hurt someone.

<3 Saucy
<3 rules
<3 nightwolf

You see, we have these little delete buttons, making your attempts rather vain. These rules where agreed upon by the moderators and administrators, get over it.

[edit] Perhaps if you had read the bottom part it would tell you veterans of the debating section are given a lot of tolerance to the rules, that would include you moron. This is basically here for the newer members.

Whatever.

Edit: these rules are shit as long as ellipses are allowed.

lol how angsty

When was the last time you tried to insult someone without sounding like an idiot and being way off the mark?

I don't know, I don't insult people often. Just people that really irritate me.


But come on. The whole "fuck the rules I'll do what I want" and "whatever" thing has teen angst and rage written all over it.

Wait wait wait.  Was I the veteran idiot?  If so, harsh, if not, WHY ARENT I A VETERAN! I LOST A LEG HERE!

Whoever changed the forum name to "Elitist Debate" is my hero.

Now Saladin actually belongs in this forum!

Good Call on the name change...

hahaha

about time. Now to execute my plan to have it moved into spam

I think after the The world we live in thread and the Threads started by me stop getting activity I might keep out of ID... It seems when ever I add some of my open minded flights of fantasy within a topic they close, get moved, or people just stop posting in them... Either I am killing them, or people don't know how to respond to some one that thinks outside of the realms of normality, May be we need a free thoughts area, creative thinking... Or just a Mental Asylum in my case... Either way ID or ED as it is now I don't thinks the right place for me.

I might start posting in the ED forums now. I forgot that it existed for about a month or so. I hope I don't get banned for being dumb.

Due to how he handled a conversation / warning froma particular mod, saladin is banned from ID for a while

I am nolonger going to post in ID... I resign from the area...

I have been missquoted and to a degree picked on within the area... I raised some good topics, and all I have had is hostility, I have given supporting video evidence that's been disregarded and treated as Magic rather than science.

I just can't be asked any more to repeat myself over and over, when the first post is abundantly clear.

I did enjoy religious debates with DS, but they always turn from religion to Evolution...

All topic's within ID seem to change when people have nothing more to add they atack or take the topic in another direction.

It seems if you don't agree with DS, your autmoatically stupid, and pretty much every would rather side with her than be branded as such.

Take for example my You Tube topic, I had PM's after telling me how right I was, but they didn't want to support me as the debate was to one sided in the other direction.

What I am saying is you can't debate with DS... She is right and you are wrong, end of... And I am fed up of trying to give reason to narrow minded people.

I leave you with this:-

Damn fucking straight.

<------ God.

I am nolonger going to post in ID... I resign from the area...

Just thought I'd quote that.

Geez saucy, I mean, I agree with you on the subjects you were debating on that's made this happen, but you can do it without being, basically, a cunt.



Can't we all just get along?

I can debate with and show my opposite side to something with LoS without berating him or outright calling him retarded and suggesting he seek mental health treatment (!?) just because he has a difference of opinion.

Sorry, but you're one of, if not THE top person who's given this particular forum the reputation of being a big pissing contest more than Intelligent, civil and calm debate.

I liked seeing that LoS was apparently letting your overzealousness roll off him, though now it looks like he's finally had enough.

In short, cool it already ~_~

The harsher the woman, the better the man.

I was supporting LoS in his topic and getting close to the same reaction.  I'm not nearly as patient as he is, though, so I give him major credit for going that far.  To me it seems that no matter what the topic is on it always turns to personal attacks just because someone doesn't want to be wrong or they refuse to let someone have the last word. 

My experience in that one topic has utterly deterred me from ID.

I was always surprised that LoS kept it up for so long. It shows determination. He always added craziness to every debate and made it more interesting. He will be missed 

It's very ineffective to use ad hominem anyway. Even though most of what los says I find ridiculously strange and almost certainly wrong, I always find myself more inclined to defend his side of the argument just because I don't want to be associated with the side who are being assholes. I also think that people who have not already made up their mind tend to get turned off by it too. Well, I've never been very active in ED regardless, so I'll just leave now and stop trying to lecture people like a complete douchebag.

By the way, LoS, I haven't been twisting your words or putting them in your mouth. This is what you said, and I'm telling you why they are stupid and wrong. You  do this shit all the time: write a long-winded  post with a YouTube video that totally proves your point except  that it doesn't and then when I or someone else proves that you're full of shit you claim that we're putting words in your mouth and change your position to something equally wrong.

Or maybe "ignorant" would be a better word? That's what you are, willfully ignorant. You have learned absolutely nothing from this forum. You refuse to learn anything. You just spam this forum with the same tired shit.

You know you're an embarrassment to atheists and people who think global warming is real, right? You base all your conclusions on stereotypes and the vague opinions of your friends, and you make the groups you side with look like morons when you do. For example: you don't know a single thing about Christianity but you feel free to judge it and all sorts of other things based on what your friend heard about it from another friend, who told him about it a few years ago. All of your opinions are worthless for this reason.

You are a child; you don't know anything except what your parents and friends have told you. You behave like one also, locking threads when they don't go your way. Aren't you ever embarrassed in real  life? Hasn't someone ever mocked you for being ignorant? Made you feel bad for thinking and acting the way you do? Someone has to have pointed out your shameful (and near-absolute) ignorance of the world around you, right?

Right?