Debate Forum

[Franix]

Make a debate forum where people can discuss and debate serious topics that otherwise would not be allowed in General Discussion because of "the nature of the topic".

There are a lot of people here on MCM, with a lot of different opinions and views on things, and I think debates on controversial topics such as LGBTQ+, etc.., could be interesting for a lot of people.

There are of course trolls that are only there to ruin the topic, get the heat of the conversation up and make it all go to hell, so the forum has to be strict to keep replies to the topic or whatever is being discussed in the thread.

If you don't agree, please post your opinions. I love to argue, debate and converse with people so I would love to see a forum like this since I can't argue in SB ):

EDIT:
I know mods has stuff to do, so maybe introduce a new staff role called "Debate mod" or something. It should be a starting point like Chat mods are to the staff team, and the higher ups in the staff team can really get to see how their staff handles situations.

 

[alice]

Yeah but I'm meaning that since the forum is mainly focused on being a marketplace, having a section that would likely require a lot of staff attention due to trolls, would increase the backlog substaintially, which wouldn't be good in the long run.

Nah man, you're trying too hard. Professionalism is great, but McMarket tries to be over professional to the point where it becomes unprofessional and produces detrimental effects and kills off forum activity.

Tofty said himself he would be willing to help manage such a section. All it takes is a staff member to read through the section's posts 30 minutes a day. Just revoke the viewing permissions from the section of anyone being toxic/severely committing ad hominen. You don't have to send out mass warnings and start banning people. Just revoke their permissions and have very clear and direct rules for the section that users have to agree to before being allowed to view it.

You could also almost see a debate section as a filter too then to weed out trolls and flag potential scammers. It wouldn't be that active or that difficult to manage.

Sure you can do it, but nothing good comes of it. You're curious about an opinion? Make a poll. Encouraging debate on a forum that mostly has teenagers will not end well regardless of your intentions.
Debating is very healthy. We debate at our school in a controlled environment. But MCM cannot and should not be facilitating a dedicated environment for this, especially given the complaints members already have.

> nothing good comes of it
Not only is debating very fun for most users, but any debate is an opportunity for people to learn from each other — especially in a public community like this where a bunch of users can chime in and share their feelings and worldviews.

Controversy is what makes the world go around. It doesn't matter if they're teenagers; it doesn't matter if it's a Minecraft market and its main purpose is to talk about Minecraft. You can still debate (and we do all of the time actually in sections like Suggestions or this very thread even!), and we're all part of the same community so we're all like-minded people in some fashion, so it would be quite interesting to hear about each others' viewpoints and arguments. There are plenty of mature people here, and yes, there are plenty of immature kids too, and that's what I would daresay makes it a perfect environment for debating. It's fun and gives everyone a chance to learn. Watching people lose their shit in a heated argument is fun too. It helps them grow up. It helps you grow up too and become more numb to issues you feel a little too strongly about.

You yourself feel strongly about certain LGBT issues and seem to think many users on MC are transphobic for having certain viewpoints. You can change their mind, and even if you can't change their mind, you can change an observer's mind or grow as a person yourself and learn more about what you're arguing against and how to better respond to opposing viewpoints.[DOUBLEPOST=1574911712][/DOUBLEPOST]Update:
Ally Zyger No wonder neither of you want a debate section. Both of you reacted a disagree to my post and didn't even bother to respond. I really was hoping you would because it's courteous to if you're going to bother disagreeing at all.

Null reacted a disagree to my post literally 15 seconds after I posted it. Didn't even bother to read through it first. A little narrow-minded there and unwilling to listen to opposing views, at all.

If neither of you are willing to have your own minds changed about anything or even respond to posts like mine that I put effort into (as opposed to your 1-4 easily debunked lackluster sentences), then don't participate in such a section if it were to come out. You don't have to take the section away from others if you don't care for it and aren't willing to dissect an argument and respond to any counter arguments. Just don't look at it. No one's forcing you to.

 

[Ally]

Null reacted a disagree to my post literally 15 seconds after I posted it. Didn't even bother to read through it first. A little narrow-minded there and unwilling to listen to opposing views, at all.

Get over yourself. I skimmed your post. I saw things that I disagree with and frankly I'm a little over arguing my point in posts. Rage at us all you want, I couldn't care less.

You yourself feel strongly about certain LGBT issues and seem to think many users on MC are transphobic for having certain viewpoints

Oh gee I wonder why.

I don't have to justify myself to you. I made my point, you made yours. And I have nothing else to say to you.

 

[alice]

Get over yourself. Rage at us all you want, I couldn't care less

I don't know what you define as "rage", but I can assure that out of the two of us, I'm not the one lashing out and acting toxic.

I'm a little over arguing my point
I made my point

Excuse me, but what point? From what I can tell, you have no point. Your only claim is "nothing good comes of it, won't end well because of teenagers"

Zero explanations whatsoever. Just a completely baseless, prejudice, uneducated claim. And yeah, run away now after throwing a hissy fit because you don't know how to properly respond to counter arguments, not that you had one.

 

[Zyger]

Nah man, you're trying too hard. Professionalism is great, but McMarket tries to be over professional to the point where it becomes unprofessional and produces detrimental effects and kills off forum activity.

Tofty said himself he would be willing to help manage such a section. All it takes is a staff member to read through the section's posts 30 minutes a day. Just revoke the viewing permissions from the section of anyone being toxic/severely committing ad hominen. You don't have to send out mass warnings and start banning people. Just revoke their permissions and have very clear and direct rules for the section that users have to agree to before being allowed to view it.

You could also almost see a debate section as a filter too then to weed out trolls and flag potential scammers. It wouldn't be that active or that difficult to manage.


> nothing good comes of it
Not only is debating very fun for most users, but any debate is an opportunity for people to learn from each other — especially in a public community like this where a bunch of users can chime in and share their feelings and worldviews.

Controversy is what makes the world go around. It doesn't matter if they're teenagers; it doesn't matter if it's a Minecraft market and its main purpose is to talk about Minecraft. You can still debate (and we do all of the time actually in sections like Suggestions or this very thread even!), and we're all part of the same community so we're all like-minded people in some fashion, so it would be quite interesting to hear about each others' viewpoints and arguments. There are plenty of mature people here, and yes, there are plenty of immature kids too, and that's what I would daresay makes it a perfect environment for debating. It's fun and gives everyone a chance to learn. Watching people lose their shit in a heated argument is fun too. It helps them grow up. It helps you grow up too and become more numb to issues you feel a little too strongly about.

You yourself feel strongly about certain LGBT issues and seem to think many users on MC are transphobic for having certain viewpoints. You can change their mind, and even if you can't change their mind, you can change an observer's mind or grow as a person yourself and learn more about what you're arguing against and how to better respond to opposing viewpoints.[DOUBLEPOST=1574911712][/DOUBLEPOST]Update:
Ally Zyger No wonder neither of you want a debate section. Both of you reacted a disagree to my post and didn't even bother to respond. I really was hoping you would because it's courteous to if you're going to bother disagreeing at all.

Null reacted a disagree to my post literally 15 seconds after I posted it. Didn't even bother to read through it first. A little narrow-minded there and unwilling to listen to opposing views, at all.

If neither of you are willing to have your own minds changed about anything or even respond to posts like mine that I put effort into (as opposed to your 1-4 easily debunked lackluster sentences), then don't participate in such a section if it were to come out. You don't have to take the section away from others if you don't care for it and aren't willing to dissect an argument and respond to any counter arguments. Just don't look at it. No one's forcing you to.

Why are you trying so hard dude?

 

[alice]

Why are you trying so hard dude?

Why aren't you trying at all?

 

[Zyger]

Why aren't you trying at all?

I am? You even said it yourself

 

[alice]

I am? You even said it yourself

That was in reference to your exaggerated "would likely require a lot of staff attention" claim. We don't need overmoderation, and the staff tries too hard as it is. Everyone acts like a debate section would be flooded with hundreds of toxic posts everyday. I could most likely even moderate it myself by just skimming through the new posts 15 minutes everyday. McMarket is not that active, and people aren't that toxic.

You aren't trying at all in terms of your counter arguments. You have the audacity to disagree to my post without even bothering to reply to it, even though it was a detailed refutation.

 

[Zyger]

That was in reference to your exaggerated "would likely require a lot of staff attention" claim. We don't need overmoderation, and the staff tries too hard as it is. Everyone acts like a debate section would be flooded with hundreds of toxic posts everyday. I could most likely even moderate it myself by just skimming through the new posts 15 minutes everyday. McMarket is not that active, and people aren't that toxic.

You aren't trying at all in terms of your counter arguments. You have the audacity to disagree to my post without even bothering to reply to it, even though it was a detailed refutation.

I don't care enough about it to write an essay, and no matter what I say you're just gonna twist my words anyway.

 

[Mick]

We do allow for people to open discussions in our general discussion forum about topics which may be considered to be controversial, but there is a pretty strong track record on the site for debates/arguments/discussions to get off track and turn into harassment or discrimination, so we end up locking or entirely trashing them.

Whenever a thread about a potentially controversial topic is created it takes away time staff could spend doing other things to monitor the discussions to ensure that users aren't trying to shitpost or troll or post meaningless content.

I don't want to promote the discussion of controversial topics, which implementing this suggestion would do.

Denied, thanks for the suggestion