How not to suck in this forum
 

Posting:

• Find a topic

Find a topic you are genuinely interested in, that's the only way to have a good debate. Just skim through the titles and descriptions of the first page of debates.

• Read the topic.

Don't seem stupid and post on something you thought the topic was about, when it really wasn't. Read the first post, and if you can, the whole topic, if it's a large topic, just read the most recent page or so.

• Post

WARNING: Flaming makes you look stupid!
WARNING: Saying something that's not true can also make you seem dumb!
Another WARNING: D0nt tAk lI3k dis.

Make sure you state your view well and make it easy to understand. Make sure you do some research to avoid being openly mocked, teased, and/or stoned for seeming stupid. One sentence posts don't make you seem smart at all, either, pleaes take time to elaborate, if everything in the debate section was just one sentence, it wouldn't be much of a debate, would it? Another thing to note is that you should always cite your facts if possible.

Things to keep in mind.

Don't be angry when you post-If, while reading other posts, you become angry, you should close your eyes and take a couple of deep breathes, then post. It will keep you from flaming and make sure you maintain your posture and your post seems intelligent.

Be open minded-Think. That's what this forum is for. Before you post again, think about the comments other people have made.

Making a Topic.

• Think of a debate.

Think of something interesting to debate about. Choose something interesting that people will want to post in, something that has two or more distinct sides to the argument. An issue with only one possible perspective would be boring.

• Post it.

Make sure the first sentences you post aren't biased, or at least make sure you are considering all sides of the debate. Tell what the debate is about. After that, you can skip a few lines then tell your view. A good, quick topic would be:

• Stay active.

You should keep up-to-date and read your own topic to keep it alive.

What's intelligent and constructive and what's not?
The answer is simple. Anything that can be added to or commented on is constructive. Be elaborate and don't be afraid to cover everything. Something that's just completely stupid isn't. A picture of Bush compared to Hitler isn't, neither is the fake of Kerry shaking hands with LeVay. Those are stupid pictures with no intellectual value for the debate.

Good Information Links
http://wikipedia.org/
http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/

Seeing as this is a debate, I'm gunna have to argue with that, even though I support all of those bullets thoroughly. An exception with the bit about biased posting, I feel that the example was not clear enough. Any way here goes the argument:

GTFO U L0LC4T W4NN4 B3!! :mad:

I think it was a good example, even if you give a biased debate you should be able to look at all sides of the debate. And sometimes even post on different sides to make a better debate.

I will edit it slightly.