The rules are intended, within a given pre-announced debate,
- to remove all off-topic interruption to a side channelto allow statement of position, presentation of evidence, rebuttal and summaryto limit the scope to a predefined topicto limit the duration to a pre-specified number of postsWe have in mind the creation of a paired thread for each single debate, one for common discussion of the debate as it progresses and one for the debate itself. The initial implementation of Westcliff Rules require the posters to the debate thread to consist solely of the Chair, two people arguing for the motion and two against.
We have two initial formats in mind, the direct debate and the switched debate. In the switched debate, after a first half consisting of direct debate the supporters of the motion switch with the opponents and argue the other side of the motion in the second half.
There is no scoring mechanism, nobody wins or loses, and anyone at all can join in the corresponding discussion thread as the debate progresses.
A direct debate consists of fourteen messages, these being:- Post 1, from the Chair: The title, the motion, a naming and introduction to the Proposer and Seconder, and to the Opposition pairPost 2, from the Proposer, putting the case for the motionPost 3, from the Leader of the Opposition, putting the case against the motionPost 4, from the Seconder, advancing the case for the motionPost 5, from the Second Opposition, advancing the case against the motionPosts 6, 7, 8 and 9 in the same order rebutting the initial posts from both counterpart postersPost 10, 11, 12 and 13 as summaries by the Seconder, the Second Opposition, The Leader of the Opposition and finally the ProposerPost 14, from the Chair, concluding the debateThe proprieties of debate accepted by participants under Westcliff Rules are:
- Scrupulous adherence to civil and polite speechAll points to be addressed to the Chair (which avoids this bugbear of "you" being taken personally every time it appears)All reference works to be cited, preferably to be online, none to be copy-pasted in full into the thread, no quotation to exceed eighty words - fuller quotes if needed can be lodged into the discussion thread and treated as available testimonyNo new external material or references to be introduced into the debate beyond the rebuttal phase (which ends at post 9)
I doubt whether we'll try a switched debate until we've tested out this smaller direct format, but the intention is that the two center rounds, proposition and rebuttal, are repeated with the motion reversed and that the only summary thereafter is from the Chair - in other words, the switched debate is not conclusive but allows both sides to strengthen the debate itself rather than their own partisan preference.
I think, Administrators, that if you want to implement this, you might look at vBulletin Membership Groups so that anyone wishing to contribute text can apply for and automatically receive write permission to the Sub-Forum threads. We may need a sanction for anyone other than the formal participants posting into the debate threads, at least to the extent of deleting commentary posts from people who don't understand what's going on. We'd like the debates to be univerally readable regardless of FG membership or Group membership (if that's the mechanism adopted for keeping the threads cleaned).
The ForumGarden 2006 London Meet thanks you for your consideration.
- Scrupulous adherence to civil and polite speechAll points to be addressed to the Chair (which avoids this bugbear of "you" being taken personally every time it appears)All reference works to be cited, preferably to be online, none to be copy-pasted in full into the thread, no quotation to exceed eighty words - fuller quotes if needed can be lodged into the discussion thread and treated as available testimonyNo new external material or references to be introduced into the debate beyond the rebuttal phase (which ends at post 9)
- Post 1, from the Chair: The title, the motion, a naming and introduction to the Proposer and Seconder, and to the Opposition pairPost 2, from the Proposer, putting the case for the motionPost 3, from the Leader of the Opposition, putting the case against the motionPost 4, from the Seconder, advancing the case for the motionPost 5, from the Second Opposition, advancing the case against the motionPosts 6, 7, 8 and 9 in the same order rebutting the initial posts from both counterpart postersPost 10, 11, 12 and 13 as summaries by the Seconder, the Second Opposition, The Leader of the Opposition and finally the ProposerPost 14, from the Chair, concluding the debateThe proprieties of debate accepted by participants under Westcliff Rules are:
