Debate guideline suggestions

Table of Contents

1. General guidelines
2. Pre-debate
   1. Qualifying exam
   2. Monitor selection
3. Opening statements
4. Interrogation
   1. Interruptions
   2. Yes/No questions
5. Closing statements
6. Why? (justification/rationale/pro-and-con)
   1. Audience size
   2. Audience understanding of the debate
   3. Audience entertainment from the debate

Table of Contents 1) General guidelines 2) Pre-debate 2.1) Qualifying exam 2.2) Monitor selection 3) Opening statements 4) Interrogation 4.1) Interruptions 4.2) Yes/No questions 5) Closing statements 6) Why? (justification/rationale/pro-and-con) 6.1) Audience size 6.2) Audience understanding of the debate 6.3) Audience entertainment from the debate Back to top

1) General guidelines

NEVER have both microphones open/active. One microphone is ALWAYS muted, and only one microphone is active - EVER!

Microphones are timed and automatically turn off when the time limit is reached.

Automate as much of this as possible. 

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2) Pre-debate

2.1) Qualifying exam

Each debater creates a quiz for the opponent. Each debater is required to pass the quiz created by his opponent BEFORE being allowed to debate. (This is to prevent, "My esteemed (aka "goofball, dumber than a stick") opponent obviously does not understand my position.") The purpose is not to agree with the opponent's position, merely to understand that position.

2.2) Monitor selection

Each debater gets to select a panel, or individual, as expert(s), to monitor the OTHER debater and call out logical fallacies?

Arguably, the moderator could perform this function; however, the moderator could be biased. Allowing each opponent to select their own monitor precludes potential bias.

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3) Opening statements

AUTOMATICALLY turn off their mic when their allocated time is over.

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4) Interrogation

4.1) Interruptions

The questioner is UN-muted and the opponent is muted, while asking the question. 

The questioner is muted and the opponent is UN-muted, while answering the question. 

4.2) Yes/No questions

For yes/no questions, the questioner pushes a button, or notifies the moderator - so that the answering guy's mic is muted. 

Then the answering guy has 3 or more buttons - 

1. yes
2. no
   Optional buttons below:
3. not applicable 
4. I don't know (the answer)
5. This is a trap! 
6. I suspect this is a trap.
7. This is NOT a simple yes/no question - requires more detailed /qualified response/answer.
8. ... etc. ....

There will be a 15 second time limit 1 to respond to the yes/no question. 

If the time limit elapses without a response, then

• there is a time adjustment
  • the questioner gets an extra 5 min 1 to speak freely
  • the guy who did not answer gets 5 min 1 subtracted from the time for his summary
• or the questioner wins the debate by default 
• or some other result.... 

NOTE: this is for ONLY yes/no questions. Other questions could require detailed answers, so this would NOT apply to them! 

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5) Closing statements

Same as opening statements; AUTOMATICALLY turn off their mic when their allocated time is over.

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6) Why? (justification/rationale/pro-and-con)

6.1) Audience size

con - these guidelines could reduce audience size

pro - these guidelines could increase audience size 

6.2) Audience understanding of the debate

con - ?

pro - understanding can be increased and improved, due to fewer interruptions, more coherence

6.3) Audience entertainment from the debate

con - these guidelines could result in less entertaining debates, due to removal of "drama"

pro - these guidelines could result in more entertaining debates, due to the entertainment value of the content 

• 1 a b c This time may obviously be tweaked to other values.

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