RE: New Levels of Low
November 21, 2013 at 5:48 pm
(This post was last modified: November 21, 2013 at 5:51 pm by Lion IRC.)
I think a word count limit is needed for 4 reasons:
- it's supposed to be a structured formal debate. If you can't gather and present your case in a format with boundaries that apply equally to both sides then why have time deadlines either? Just have a never ending, page after page thread full of TLDR cut-n-paste plagiarism.
- in addition to providing a level playing field, the word limit is also a small mercy to the Moderator and audience who, although they might like reading one contestants' relatively short posts, they may find it a bit tedious wading through 20,000 words about circumcision, the Crusaders laying siege to Jerusalem, the prosperity gospel and megachurches, the ordination of women priests, whether Hitler was a true Christian....
- if you make a big seal about not wanting a word count limit and your subsequent debate post submissions are less than 1500 words it leaves you open to the criticism that you over promised and under delivered. (Ran out of ammo.)
- The structure of the debate, intro, substantive post, rebuttal, Q&A, summary/conclusion, logically suggests that not every post can be of unlimited length. For example, how many words do you need to pose a single question! If there's no agreed word limit set in advance, then one sides summing up comments could conceivably go on for 15 pages and introduce material not previously mentioned.
Nice!
Getting in a few ad Homs before the formal debate in which such insults wouldn't be allowed - right Stimbo?
- it's supposed to be a structured formal debate. If you can't gather and present your case in a format with boundaries that apply equally to both sides then why have time deadlines either? Just have a never ending, page after page thread full of TLDR cut-n-paste plagiarism.
- in addition to providing a level playing field, the word limit is also a small mercy to the Moderator and audience who, although they might like reading one contestants' relatively short posts, they may find it a bit tedious wading through 20,000 words about circumcision, the Crusaders laying siege to Jerusalem, the prosperity gospel and megachurches, the ordination of women priests, whether Hitler was a true Christian....
- if you make a big seal about not wanting a word count limit and your subsequent debate post submissions are less than 1500 words it leaves you open to the criticism that you over promised and under delivered. (Ran out of ammo.)
- The structure of the debate, intro, substantive post, rebuttal, Q&A, summary/conclusion, logically suggests that not every post can be of unlimited length. For example, how many words do you need to pose a single question! If there's no agreed word limit set in advance, then one sides summing up comments could conceivably go on for 15 pages and introduce material not previously mentioned.
(November 21, 2013 at 5:25 pm)missluckie26 Wrote: So, same psycho different day
You guys set that up, I'm going to take a nap.
Nice!
Getting in a few ad Homs before the formal debate in which such insults wouldn't be allowed - right Stimbo?
