07-03-2003 12:12									#1
	Apolyton debate strategies Help yourself to an AD-FREE life

I have noticed different posters employ different debate strategies here at Apolyton. Here are a few I have noticed, I apologize if anyone feels misrepresented. Feel free to add.

The guerilla warfare doctrine- This debate doctrine focuses on short, possibly out of context snippets of another users post to throw them off, and force surrender.
Practioners: Beserker, formerly Ethelred

The dogpile doctrine- This strategy relies on overwhelming army of posts to break the opponent's will to resist when the enemy cannot counter. In other words, the goal here is to post the opponent white. This doctrine relies on quanity, not necessarily quality to defeat the enemy.
practioners: Asher, the battle of Verdun

The skirmish doctrine- This strategy relies on short, witty or sarcastic statements, or clever sayings. The goal is to overwhelm the enemy with wit as to force an immediate surrender.
practioners: Ming, DinoD, Imran, sometimes Frogger

The schlieffen plan doctrine: This strategy believes that most wars must be won within the first few posts, or else it will be drawn out into a long, acrimonious, stalemate. Those who practise this doctrine usually go for a quick, decisive victory, or else just give up.
practioners: DinoD, Monkspider

the mutually ignored destruction doctrine: this primitive, yet brutual strategy relies on the concept of the flame post to attempt to flame the enemy to a fine crisp, even if it means the poster's own destruction by means of flame warfare.
practioners: Sloww, Sava, Chris62

the modern war doctrine: certain highly advanced posters have access to a new technology in warfare, which has been dubbed the "cited source". This breakthrough in posting allows these posters to quote reputable scholarly sources to back up their arguements, often leaving the opponents helpless. Most of the advancements in this field are purely theoretical, but should prove key to the future of Apolyton warfare.
practioners: MtG, Che, sometimes Frogger, Boris, Imran.

the relentless offensive doctrine- Also known to some as the "broken record strategy", this doctrine relies on a steady, never-ceasing offensive against an enemy, regardless of the losses. Those who practise this strategy believe the dash and daring of the offensive will always win the day, no matter how catastrophically high the losses get.
practioners: Chris62, many other minor powers

The Fezzian doctrine: Also known in some circles as the "BAM" doctrine. There is some debate over the history of the latter name. Some say it stems from a comment from made by General Boris Godunov in the heat of battle against the doctrine's originator, Fez I. When faced with the piecemeal assault, Boris exclaimed to his handsome young aide, "Egad, he fights like a bald-faced assertion man!" Students of medevial history however believe the name originates from a ragtag hermit named Boshko who led the illfated Squirrel Crusade in 1213. Some documents from the period show that he may have referred to Fez I's predecessor, Giancarlo the magnificent, as a bald-faced assertion man as a result of a drunken quarrel. In any event, the name was later shortened to simply BAM. This doctrine bases itself philosophically on Nietzschean ideas of a "super post" or "uber post" that overrides all others, regardless of their merit. Unfortunately, when put into practise, this doctrine has only met with tragic results.
practioners: Fez

Other posters, AFAIK, simply use the "try to win the debate" doctrine, though I am sure there are plenty of doctrines i have left out, and more posters who subscribe to the aforementioned doctrines than I have listed.

-edit updated to include a couple missing doctrines

Last edited by monkspider on 07-03-2003 at 13:35

	07-03-2003 12:15									#2
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Dodgeball Debate: Stating facts rather than opinion. Often used by me, lately in my "Is the UN failed?" thread

	07-03-2003 12:17									#3
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quote: The dogpile doctrine- This strategy relies on overwhelming army of posts to break the opponent's will to resist when the enemy cannot counter. In other words, the goal here is to post the opponent white. This doctrine relies on quanity, not necessarily quality to defeat the enemy. practioners: Asher, the battle of Verdun

Oh, blah.

I'm starting to branch out, no one really argues with me in the computer threads anymore.

	07-03-2003 12:18									#4
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An interesting thread to say the least...

However, a warning. Do NOT use this thread to insult fellow members. It's ok to classify people's debating style, but I don't want to see things like... The Moron approach...

	07-03-2003 12:18									#5
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frozzy, you simply didnt reply to his question.

	07-03-2003 12:20									#6
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I'd use modern war doctrine if ever there was a debate on Apolyton that I felt truly passionate about. As of now though...

	07-03-2003 12:20									#7
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I agree completely Ming, I should have included such a warning in my original post.

	07-03-2003 12:21									#8
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What question? He said:

quote: Feel free to add.

So I added.

	07-03-2003 12:24									#9
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Very amusing . I see I've made the list twice... I feel I should make a witty statement, or at the very least cite to something .

	07-03-2003 12:25									#10
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quote: Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui Very amusing . I see I've made the list twice... I feel I should make a witty statement, or at the very least cite to something .

Yeah, I guess you have made a strong impression on me Immerz.

	07-03-2003 12:25									#11
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The important thing to note is that no one else on Apolyton is unique but me...

	07-03-2003 12:28									#12
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I almost put UR on the dogpile doctrine list, but I couldn't decide if it fit him enough to justify it.
I did think it would be ironic to have both you and UR on the same trait though.

	07-03-2003 12:30									#13
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I didn't get mentioned once. Does this mean all my time spent here is wasted time?

Wait, I already knew that it was...

	07-03-2003 12:30									#14
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There is also the Broken Record Strategy...
Somebody just keeps saying the same thing over and over again, totally ignoring any of the responses in the thread... knowing that people will tire of the game and get bored, leaving him the victor, but only because nobody else is willing to play anymore.

	07-03-2003 12:30									#15
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what about Fez? id call that style GODZILLA

	07-03-2003 12:31									#16
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He's having trouble classifying me. Not only did I make the list twice (under the same categories as Imran ), he also prefixed me with a "sometimes"...

I am a Rennaissance man of posting.

	07-03-2003 12:34									#17
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quote: Originally posted by MRT144 what about Fez? id call that style GODZILLA

Read my warning again...

	07-03-2003 12:34									#18
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My strategy is to ignore anyone that can handily whip me in a debate.

	07-03-2003 12:34									#19
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Good ones Ming/MrT!
Fez deserves a category all his own.

	07-03-2003 12:35									#20
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Personally, I rely on sabotaging discussions that aren't going my way or that I feel would be more interesting if they addressed a different point. I usually rely on sexual references, obscenity or the art of the ridiculous. I call it the Surrealist school of posting. For some reason, Ming calls it spamming and threatens to close the thread.

	07-03-2003 12:35									#21
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Sikander, thats why I use the "Dodgeball" technique

	07-03-2003 12:36									#22
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Guerilla warfare is a widely misunderstood strategy. It can be misabused, true, but it's sometimes the most effective way to respond to an argument. What look like out-of-context quotes to outsiders make perfect sense to the people in the debate (although if the war goes on too long as this style so often does, the implied meaning and overall argument sometimes gets lost). And you can't take on a guerilla conventionally.

	07-03-2003 12:36									#23
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Perhaps instead of a regular thread, someone should do it Poll-style, allowing everyone to pick one or more favored styles...

...instead of relying on others to do it for them. We know where that can lead.

	07-03-2003 12:56									#24
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I used to do really epic guerilla style arguements with people. They can get insane when you have two people like that going head to head (for example me and Porphy years ago), but am mostly too lazy now.

Can't believe you forgot Bald Assertion Man strategy

	07-03-2003 13:22									#25
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Original post updated to include a couple notably missing strategies.

	07-03-2003 13:23									#26
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"

Can't believe you forgot Bald Assertion Man strategy "

Ahh Giancarlo used this frequently..

Back in the old days of the Libertarian Horde, I used the cut and paste frenzy style which dominated warfare of the day. In it, you would cut and paste the entire post(except for any strong point the opponents had which you don't want to adress) slice up into a bunch of piece and reply to everything they said one by one. The opponent would do the same, cut and pasting the opponents cutting and pasting, and the argumenting into an unreadable mess.

Nowaday I do more of a hit and run style. I don't care about debating as much as i used to, and i never stick with the debate. I normally just add on a few posts to the side I favor and then leave the thread.

	07-03-2003 13:25									#27
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quote: The latter name stems from a comment from made by General Boris Godunov in the heat of battle against the doctrine's originator, Fez I.

Nope. Look at the top of the page.
http://fjorxc.rooms.rubberrooms.net...al/gallery.html

	07-03-2003 13:26									#28
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Boshko was the person who came up with calling it BAM in the first place, monk.

	07-03-2003 13:28									#29
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Oh really? I guess that just shows what a newbie I am.
-edit credit given where credit is due.

Last edited by monkspider on 07-03-2003 at 13:36

	07-03-2003 20:07									#30
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I can't believe you missed some classics:

Rolleyes Doctrine: Can't think of a clever retort? No problem! Just "rolleyes" your opponent, making it clear that you would post a clever retort, but that your opponent's opinions are so grossly inferior to your own that there's really no need for you to respond.
Pracitioners: MrFun

Righteousness Doctrine: No matter the debate, no matter the mix of opinions, no matter whether your own opinion is actually justified or not, this doctrine holds that you can win any debate by claiming that your opponent is evil (perhaps even Satan Himself).
Pracitioners: Names withheld to keep the thread open.

The Worst Debate Tactic Ever: Yes, it's difficult to believe that anybody would use this particular debating tactic, but nevertheless some posters still employ it from time to time.
Pracitioners: Anybody who disagrees with me.