Participants Needed! First ATS Debate Tournament for 2007

Two of you still need to be upgraded to fighter. The rest of you have been. Our wonderful supermods have been extremely quick about that.

I will pair you guys up and assign topics tonight. The threads should be in existence by midnight, Pacific Time, I will notify you all by U2U and I will unlock them at approximately 4 AM, at which time the 24 hour countdown will begin. I realize it is a work day for many of you and that morning people are a rare breed, so you are under no obligation to hurry.

I am opening them early because when I have debated in the past, both while working and since deciding to continue my education, I have found it convenient to print out debate threads and take them with me during the day so that I could read and reread my opponent's post for mistakes, figure out where he was going, and begin outlining and deciding what I have to research.

You will have all day and all night to actually post, and if you need a little extra, especially early on while you're getting the hang of this, I'll understand.

Again the threads will open and 24 hour count will begin at *approximately* 4am, pacific time, if everything goes as I plan.


Protect yourselves at all times. Now touch gloves, return to your corners, and come out swinging.

Originally posted by The Vagabond
If I'd actually believed in my position, my arguments would have been pretty ho-hum, not nearly as surprising or entertaining.

Yes. I did that in high school. The english assignment was to write an essay called "Hamlet's Madness; Real or Feigned?".

I knew that everyone else was writing that Hamlet really had gone insane, because they said they were writing that. I, of course, had to choose the road less travelled and argue that it was all a pretense.

The key was between the scene where Hamlet sees Claudius praying and when Hamlet stabs the hiding, closetted Polonius asking "Is it the King?!", which seems to prove that Hamlet really believed that he'd stabbed Claudius.

I simply argued that there is nothing in the play that said that Hamlet went straight from the chapel to the Queen's bedroom. That he may have stopped off at the "loo" to relieve himself.

I got an A because my english teacher told me he'd had never read a defense of Hamlet's sanity like that one before.

Oh, I am so looking forward to this...

i'd like to join if there is any room left. Thank You.

I'm still not a fighter yet... Don't forget about me! LOL, I signed up on page 2...

Let me know what I need to do! I would love to debate!

Hikix and Truth Within are our first two backups in case somebody drops out, in that order.

Truthwithin, there's not much you have to do. Just if somebody who is already in doesn't carry on with the debate, you'll take their place. You'll be given a statement to either defend or attack, and there will be a simple list of rules posted in the thread you have to follow while doing that.

vagabond, sorry to hear about your puppy... when does this debate take place Eastern time?


[edit on 6-8-2007 by hikix]

I'm a fighter, not a member? Cool!

Keep in mind that I work 2nd shift and will be posting in the dark hours. That could either speed us up or slow us down.

We'll see.

Let the debating beg-i-i-i-i-n-n-n...!

edit to correct html.

[edit on 6-8-2007 by Tuning Spork]

I take it i'm one of the two who needs his title fixed, then

Originally posted by Tuning Spork
I'm a fighter, not a member? Cool!

Keep in mind that I work 2nd shift and will be posting in the dark hours. That could either speed us up or slow us down.

We'll see. :down:

Let the debating beg-i-i-i-i-n-n-n...!

Just try not to slow us down too much! Good luck everyone!

It was a metaphorical puppy, not a real one, but thanks for your condolences.

I think the time difference is 4 hours, but I'm not completly sure. If I'm right, that would make it 8 am at the latest.

Don't worry about being there right on time. the important thing is that when you get up in the morning the debates will probably be open. I'm going to be starting on them very soon, so if everyone wants to get a sneak peak and start planning their strategy, they will be able to.

I'm going to be starting on them very soon, so if everyone wants to get a sneak peak and start planning their strategy, they will be able to.

Sweet.
Looking forward to what is to come.

Immediately after I make this post, I will begin putting up the topics.

PLEASE Do not attempt to post there yet. If you do somehow manage to click reply before i can lock the thread, you'll just end up losing everything you type.

I'm waiting with delicious anticipation

Originally posted by The Vagabond
If you do somehow manage to click reply before i can lock the thread, you'll just end up losing everything you type.

Whoa, I ain't touchin' nothin', I swear...

EDIT: Answered by thread >.>

[edit on 7-8-2007 by D.E.M.]

i would like to debate someone...

Unfortunately the tournament is currently full.

You may be our third backup if you like. In the past, it has been common for participants to drop out in the first round. We are really aiming to avoid that, but if it is unavoidable, i will call on our backups in the order that they expressed interest to ensure that everyone actually gets to debate, instead of having to live with the stigma of advancing by default.


As I've been hinting at after this tournament is over, there will be a ranking system put in place which will provide certain incentives for fighters to engage in single debates between tournaments. This means that even if nobody drops out of the tournament, there will be plenty of action.

Details will be provided at a later date.

*sigh* ok, i'll wait...

I'll be happy to fill as a backup - pity i got to this thread too late grrrrrrr. hehehe

Hope i catch the next train!