Does the art of debate and considered argument exist on the Internet?

Question

or is the trading of misplaced and often misspelt insults now considered normal?

How can I make this a little clearer. I haven't specified any site. The question refers to the Internet in general.

Answer 1

Yes but different
The considered argument in text is done by papers
In conversation by spoken word - intonation and context.

The Internet forums use conversational style - but 1. context is often lost as due to stilted staccato nature of responses and 2. Intonation is let to the reader infer not the speaker - thus the message / reasoned aspect is sometimes over-ridden by erroneous perceptions.
3. We are learning to adapt and evolve our messaging conversation style

Answer 2

Yahoo answers is not formatted for debate. A proper debate would require moderators, and non-anonymity.

--Edit--
Well, pardon us. On the internet in general I have now found any proper debating sites, but I haven't really looked. On some blogs the author may accept posts from others and let them debate by email, moderating the discussion. On one of my favorite sites, the debates are usually quite civil,because the site owner will shut down a thread in a second if it gets out of hand. I'm not saying that trolls don't go there too, it is better though.

Basically, try going to a specialty site about politics or religion or whatever. Generic sites that allow free for alls are usually not very civil.. I know I'm not.

Answer 3

yes it does ..on this site anyway think there is fairly open debate most of the time its not perfect yet .... but neither is life .... and do we want it perfect think not otherwise we would be to scared to open our mouths and put foot in ....I personally just say what I think and if give insult sorry for that ..but no one is perfect and find others views interesting and take from their opinions something right or wrong ..never flag because hope its open debate and everyone entitled to their opinion no matter how stupid misinformed or whatever and hope others do likewise and spelling is such an issue on here if you get the message whats the problem and insult maybe matter of opinion and whats the norm ... maybe only place we the people can have say ..can this be the future ...a new art its not all getting points ..just 2 for this my time .....

Answer 4

No - because the internet is open to everyone, and the majority are not actually capable of reasoned debate. Many people come here instead for the sole purpose of insulting those they dislike or disagree with. What may appear to be "normal" here is not normal in real life.

Answer 5

Yes, it obviously does. You have received several sound answers here.

I suspect that you despair of some of the silly questions on this site and you obviously find the insults and many irrational answers irritating.

However, please don't give up. If you see a sensible question that you can give a sensible answer to, please do so. If sensible people give up on places like this, who knows what sort of lunacy will become accepted belief?

I'm relatively new here so perhaps I haven't been worn down yet, but I try to give sensible answers where I think there is a sensible question, and silly ones where appropriate. Not that I claim to be advancing the frontiers human knowledge, I ain't got the wit, but I'm trying to keep my finger in the dike.

And mix metaphors....

Answer 6

I think the art of debate does still exist among a few. Unfortunately, especially in this category (R&S), emotions are strong & heated debates can turn into insult-hurling matches.

Lol @ "misspelt" (it's so true)

Answer 7

The art of debate and considered argument doesn't exist on the Internet. I think that once the personal aspect of actually hearing somebody saying the words is taken away, so is debate and considered argument.

Answer 8

Debates are the designs educational exercises that beautifies an art of a trial of ones personal self knowledge of understanding that goads ones living communications skills of oral verbal spoken words.The debates therefore is to create the skills of your talents to introduce debate able subject topics that will interest our Internet media.people can always debate about an idea and knowledge of someone from a distance.The definition explanations must be explicit brilliantly well constructed and must be accepted by the general media without any prejudice.our first debate therefore is "Who made the World the way it is today" Is it animals,Gods, humans, plants or the soil?

Answer 9

Yes probably but as someone has said you won't find it on open forums such as this. People can get away with saying what they like on forums and insulting people and at worst they'll get banned from a site so they can just say what they like basically, and it's more opinions rather than debates.

Answer 10

Yes but you need to find a site that suits your particular taste. This is too restrictive for debate, but it does give you the opportunity to consider the questions and respond in the manner you think fit.