I posted this here since some discussion DOES occur in this forum...and if I posted it in debates, it would go unnoticed.
1: Be polite.
-Anyone can state their own opinion like a rambling jackass, but saying it as such reduces the efficiency of such an argument.
Besides...no one can ever say you're getting angry at someone for having a difference of opinion if you're speaking in a calm manner.
2: Be eloquent.
-Once again, if you type like "iM am teh SPUPER PRSON! O SEE how StUdF woekd?" that says a lot about your intelligence...and thereby the validity of your argument is called into question.
3: Avoid usage of "Obviously." when relating a point to either side of the argument.
-It is not "Obvious" to everyone which argument is the correct one. Saying "It's obviously wrong to have an abortion" may be all fine and good for you...however it belittles anyone arguing the other side.
4: Be concise.
-Don't say things that have no sway on the argument, as it will discourage people from reading your post by adding unnecessary length to it...which also leads to the problem of being ignored.
5: READ CAREFULLY...AND DO NOT FORGET PREVIOUS POSTS BY THE PERSON YOU'RE ARGUING WITH.
For example...and sorry, I've witnessed countless examples, but coming up with one myself is rather difficult.
Person 1: I dislike Final Fantasy. It has had a recent downhill slump in the quality of its gaming.
Person 2: How can you say that?
Person 1: It has...I mean, just look at the sales.
Person 2: So you hate Final Fantasy because it doesn't sell well?
Person 2 obviously forgot that Person 1 mentioned a slump in the quality of gaming. And so...
Person 1: No, the quality of the games is decreasing.
...Person 1 is forced to repeat themselves. This becomes very tedious.
6: Don't force opinions onto people.
-It's naive to think you can change someone's mind. State your case and let it be.
7: Do not force people onto views that are not theirs using indirect questioning.
-It is more than aggravating when someone forces you to argue an opinion that isn't your initial one...and then everyone assumes you stand by that opinion.
8: Just because someone argues their point, does not mean they're FOR that point.
-For example...I argued PRO-beastiality at one point...well, not really PRO-beastiality, but basically not attacking it like everyone else was, and some people assumed I was into messing around with dogs.
-Incest? Ditto. So now I have sex with my sister...who's a dog.
9: Don't talk down to people.
-I see a lot of this in the religious community here...if someone's not religious, they seem to talk down to them, as if not having a belief in God is a death-wish. Though to the religious this may or may not be a reality, it is not to those that are non-religious. And the same goes, vice versa.
And finally...
10: Learn.
-You do not know everything...no one does. This is an opportunity to learn how things look from the other perspective. It's also an opportunity to strengthen your own opinion...or even create a new one, though that rarely happens.
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