to wish people would learn how to ^debate^ things on here!

[seeker]

A small example - trivial in this case but typical of loads of discussions abotu all sorts of topics.

'i don"t think a 4 year old should have to wear a tie as part of his school uniform"

"Oh, i think school uniform is a really good idea - it's so much more difficult if they wear their own clothes"

The straw man is alive and well and living on mumsnet

ha - just realised it was the OP who called me it!

How embarrassing.

Thank you trills.

I thought Godwin's law was something to do with Nazis but didn't know about straw men before. Clearly I don't spend enough time on chat forums on the internet actually I do.

at diabolo

Did I?
It's an expression I love. I had an extremely ancient professor a long time ago who accuesed me of setting up a straw army - and I had no idea what he was talking about either!

I was being a straw man at the time tbh (now I know what it means)

I think we should form a debating team and debate with other forums.

tethers thats brilliant!

Ask, ask!

Good Lord.

It doesn't matter but no, most haven't the first. But yknow. It's not the Commons.

Don't we have a Daily Mail version of Godwin's?

Along the lines of splutter splutter blither can't think what to say quick think oh yes you must be a Daily Mail reader

Can you imagine?

Discussing the relative merits of a free market economy with the crack debating team from i-love-cats.com.

What's not to love?

[jumps up and down over-excitedly for the second time on MN tonight]

Can we do Netmums? Can we do Netmums?!

Would we have to debate in txtspk with netmums ?

Would be nice if people could also read posts before responding.

Also would be nice if they were able to post without vomiting swear words though OP I know you disagree with that idea.

No - but we'd have to hugz at the end of every point.

It's not just MN, though, listen to any news or current affairs programme and you'll hear politicians and pressure groups and experts setting up straw men and using a whole variety of avoiding tactics instead of actually addressing the issue or their opponent's argument.

Today, for instance, the health minister Simon Burns today was attempting to avoid answering the Royal College of Nursing's claim that NHS trusst are sacking nurses. He said 'over the past three years there are X thousand more nurses'. Clearly he thinks we are all too dim to work out that the RCN is talking about the present and future and he's talking about the past (while taking credit for increases under the past government into the bargain).

I can see a problem with the forum debate team idea. It's all anonymous so you could never be sure that someone wasn't debating for both sides.

Although, you could infiltrate the oposition with a Straw Man....

I like the philosophy threads. I'm in awe of posters who can give a reasoned argument for their beliefs but who also listen to others and acknowledge differences without turning it into a bunfight.

Right, LeQ is disqualified from the team for lack of commitment

kungfupanda, details, details.

Shit.

(Sorry Gooseberrybushes)

Or what about babyandbump? They are not allowed to argue so they would probably be frothing at the mouth at a chance to get all that pent-up agression out in the open.

at expletive

Can you give up the tangents, LeQ hmm? CAN YOU?

Swear off them, and you're in.

Is anyone else getting a vision of a university challenge style set-up with a very pink frilly team from Netmums hugging and lolling, a cowed looking babyandbump contingent and the MN team, smacking seven shades of crap out of their own team mates because they can't agree on a name.

Hey, i don't vomit swear words! I swore for the first time (i think) last week. i hate sweary threads - and can't bring myself to use the c word under any circumstances.

i would love to be in the team, but i only really have about 4 subjects.