World Online Debate Cup

Edeb8 is competing in the inaugural world online debate cup. Go here to check it out:

http://www.edeb8.com/tournament/ (I might move a copy of the content to a non-edeb8 url at some point too)

It's going to be epic, so prepare yourselves for some hardcore debating action against competitors from across the net. Remember that you have to register separately for the tournament. I won't participate because I'm running the thing, but I might vote on a few if I can. Good luck folks!

admin: booo - what difference does it make if you're running it? You should enter as well!

nzlockie: From experience, you need at least one person in a tournament who's neutral, or several people one of whom is guaranteed to be neutral. I might look at perhaps getting some folks from other sites to help out with the running in which case I might participate. Depends a bit on how sign ups go as well - if there's not that many then there isn't much point in using a larger committee than just me to run the tournament.

admin: ok, well I just found out today that I'm heading away again leaving on the 20th so less than ideal, even if it wasn't video - but I'll still sign up anyway. We'll see how it goes.

So the instructions don't say, but I'm guessing that contestants need to have an account on all three sites?

nzlockie: Only if they end up competing on those sites. You might as well just sign up when required.

If you want, the rules allow you to skip up to one of the five rounds, so if you're heading away on the 20th you can avoid debating until the 3rd of August in that way.

admin: That could work, but I do hate skipping rounds. It should be ok. I just need to practice a video debate first to get the hang of uploading and downloading on the road.

Is this thing being advertised on the other sites as well?

nzlockie: Yes on DDO's forum. Meevsu is going so far as to put it on their home page, which might take them a moment to set up but should be epic once it's up there.

admin: Coolio.
Well I hope Edeb8 managed to scrounge up at least one other contestant, or else it might be a poor showing from us!

nzlockie: Csareo said he'd do it in a comment as well. Nobody from edeb8 has actually signed up yet though. Come on!

admin: There you go - done!

Pinkie said she'd do it, so did Krit and I THINK doc did as well.

admin: I accidentally entered in both EDB8 and debate.org. Can you only count the debate.org one, please?

JDSFDSFfsa: Yes totally sent you an email to this effect. Yes of course, no problem.

nzlockie: I am 78% sure I don't have the capacity to do this honestly. I would say the two debates I lost were due to a lack of effort on my part. Reading text on the computer strains my eyes, typing the text consumes too much of my time(I prefer writing), and it is a bit bothersome to me with the various erratic waiting periods for replies.

based on the leaderboard, no one stands a chance against bluesteel/raisor from DDO...

9spaceking: In a webcam debate? I would not go so far as to say that. Many of the people who win these text debates could never win a webcam debate or a real live debate with a crowd or audience. There is no cross-examination whatsoever on DDO or Meevsu. That is why I like this site a bit more, cross-examination.

Tophatdoc: The vast majority of the debates won't be webcam.

9spaceking: Oh come on. Also neither of them have entered so far.

For next time, I reckon the contestants should be assigned their topics from a pool.
Also, it'd be cool if this thing gets big enough to get a couple of official judges from real life to do the judging... how cool would that be!

nzlockie: I like the idea of assigned topics personally. Definitely a next-year idea though because edeb8 is the only site who do that.

Having a select few members set aside as judges could work. If they're famous judges it would be extra cool. But for that you basically have to prove there's interest, and this is how one does it.

admin: Totes. If this thing works out I can't see why a debate organization wouldn't want to support it. Hopefully it goes really well this year.