The SDN Coliseum

Did a related website in the community go down? Come back up? Relocate to a new address? Install pop-up advertisements?

This forum is for discussion of these sorts of issues.
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Mr. Oragahn
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Post by Mr. Oragahn » Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:35 am

Jedi Master Spock wrote: The funny thing is that it's nearly always a factual error to claim a concession. You can't really declare that someone else has conceded; only they can make their own concessions. In claiming that your opponent has conceded the debate when they in fact still disagree with you, you are laying forth a false claim.
That I know, but at some point you really feel like the other person isn't there to discuss, but BS you, and you know that you're dealing with a troll.
When we can objectively notice that points have been dodged or been incorrectly by one side ad nauseum, the concession of said side is more than implied.

That said, facing a group is easy for said to group to claim victory over an argument through empty claims, personnal attacks, endurance posting and red herrings.

I see no interest in going to SDN. I'd certainly not even bother signing up over there.

Jedi Master Spock
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Post by Jedi Master Spock » Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:23 am

I'd like to point out that there's a big difference between conceding and losing a debate. It's quite possible to lose an argument without conceding, whether in formal debate competition, a jury trial, or simply the informal view of an audience. Concession is admitting loss, but you don't have to concede to lose.

To this thread to discuss whether or not to put up some kind of formal debate section here at SFJ, by the way.

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l33telboi
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Post by l33telboi » Thu Jun 19, 2008 11:32 am

Mr. Oragahn wrote:As long as a refusal to participate in a duel doesn't turn out as being a concession, there's no problem.
Nah, there's slightly more to it then that, IMO. Think about it, the guy there strikes me as the kind of person who perhaps isn't well versed when it comes to scientific or military matters, but he's eager to do what he thinks he is capable of. So he's done some form of analysis before. An analysis that apparently didn't have big enough numbers in it.

So what happens when one of the older members says the above to him? It's going to come off as 'post it and I will publicly humiliate you', which in turn would lead to him not posting the analysis.

It has a very 'bullying someone into silence' vibe to it.

I didn't really actually think of using the coliseum the way you suggested just now, but yeah, you've definitely got a point there. If this is used to actually win debates, then it's even worse. But so far nothing has suggested that, so...

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