After various 'lively' debates I have witnessed, sometimes personal/sometimes toxic/sometimes mind-numbing/sometimes bitter and twisted/sometimes plain dull... I would like to point people to...
Thumper's Rule - Knowing When And How To Avoid An Online Argument
a great blog posting by Sean R Nicholson.
To summarise the blog:
1) Learn Thumper's Rule - In case you have never seen the movie "Bambi", you need to learn this one little piece of sage advice from the bunny rabbit named Thumper. His father taught him (and his mother reminded him) that "if you can't say something nice, don't say nothing at all." Sometimes it's just a good idea to walk away from the argument, especially before it gets personal.
2) Don't argue just to argue
3) Know your position and why you're defending it - Do you really believe in the argument you're making or are you just attacking the person who is disagreeing with you.
4) Think about the community - Is your argument about gun control really beneficial to a community focused on helping solve technology-related issues?
5) Consider how others would view the discussion and your behavior
6) Consult with the site owner or community manager - When in doubt, ask the community manager whether they are okay with the way the conversation is going.
7) Learn to agree to disagree
8 ) Consider learning from the person you are debating with - Do you know everything? If you do, then turn off the computer because you're done.
9) Be You…The Real You
10) Back up your position with real, verifiable facts - If you have facts to support your side of the debate, great. Prove it.
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