question

[t125eagle]

not to be self centered,but i was wondering what you all thought of me?
and i was wondering in my arguements, what i needed to work on to be better. thanks.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

You agreed with me on the 'Should there be term limits for Congress' thread, so you're OK with me. :mrgreen: Seriously, haven't really posted with you too often on the same threads, so it's hard to tell. Any areas you think you need to work on?

 

[Tashah]

t125eagle - I have not read enough of your posts to offer a valid critique. However, I can advance you some personal tips on debate.

Do an inventory of your political/ethical/moral positions and evaluate your personal stances and beliefs. I have found that it is best to develop a point of view on individual issues rather than totally embrace one particular ideology. The more conviction you possess, the better you can argue your positions. Thoroughly understand what a poster is actually saying before framing your response. Do your homework and anticipate counter-arguments. When appropriate, use apt analogies. Never debate a poster, strictly debate topical content. Don't embarrass someone over spelling errors or typos... it happens to all of us. Be willing to buttress your arguments with citations from unbiased and/or recognized sources. Proof read your post before you submit it. Can it be improved? Is it really the best that I can do? Be prepared to alter or tweak your stance if your position is indefensible. If you are incorrect, admit it and learn from your mistake. Lastly, always remember that there is a real person behind every post. Treat them as you would like to be treated. Hope this helps!

 

[t125eagle]

yes, that helped, both of you. thanks. the last couple of days it just seems that when i posed what i thought, people were just ignoring it. like i never posted. i read what they were debating and offered my thought or opinions on the matter. i hope that i havnt made anyone too mad.... i always keep in mind that there is real person at the other end of the debate... and i try to be as civil as possible. i think the only person who has really made me mad is afrimerican. lol.

 

[tecoyah]

yes, that helped, both of you. thanks. the last couple of days it just seems that when i posed what i thought, people were just ignoring it. like i never posted.

Dont let that get to you....many of my own posts are never replyed to, and it is usually a sign you made a valid point which is too difficult to debate. Many of the most vocal, and prolific posters on this site prefer to take the easy "Debate" road and simply pick apart a weak argument, rather than take on an issue that may very well invalidate a strong belief.
Truthfully you should be confident in your ability to make well thought out statements, as from what I have seen you are doing fine. It takes a while to get the personality known here at DP....and when you do, expect to be challenged more often, by those who actually use the site for what it can be.

Hang in there.

 

[t125eagle]

thanks! i was actually beginning to think everyone thought i was a lightweight and not worth their time. lol. thanks for the encouragement.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

I agree with tecoyah, completely. I often find that my own posts are ignored, and initially that was annoying. With time, I recognized that it was often a reflection of a strong post that didn't require a response. It also depeneded on who I was debating. Weak debators, either run, insult or focus on small points after a strong post. Good debators will either hang in there and respond or acknowedge what you've said. If you spend enough tme here, you'll be able to tell the difference.

As a side note, in agreement with Tashah, good links and research supporting your positions is helpful and the mark of a strong debator.

 

[t125eagle]

thanks. im sure now that i am not alone with this feeling. so hopefully people who have the same feeling as i had.. past tense since im more confident now, thanks to you all, will be able to read this and continue on.

 

[RightinNYC]

yes, that helped, both of you. thanks. the last couple of days it just seems that when i posed what i thought, people were just ignoring it. like i never posted. i read what they were debating and offered my thought or opinions on the matter. i hope that i havnt made anyone too mad.... i always keep in mind that there is real person at the other end of the debate... and i try to be as civil as possible. i think the only person who has really made me mad is afrimerican. lol.

Definitely felt the same when I first started here. It takes a while, but people will start to get accustomed to you, get an idea of your positions on things, and engage you more often. And like the other people have said, the number of responses to your posts definitely is not a good measure of how good they are...some of the dumbest posts on here are the ones that get the most responses.

A bit of advice that I can share...always be willing to learn. I've learned a lot from this place, and the time I've spent on here has helped me out in so many tangible ways in my life that it's time very well spent. There's a lot of smart people here, on all sides of the issues.:2wave:

 

[post]

On the forum that I usually frequent, I am not very popular, and....most of my posts seem to get ignored....or my post might bring discussion to an end.

Other posters who agree with your opinion, may not be all that inclined to post solely for the sake of supporting your comments, especially if you've made your point especially well.

Conversely, you probably won't convinced those who disagree with you, of anything, but you may have posted a strong enough argument to persuade them to stand down.

If you are motivated to post on a bipartisan politics forum in the hope of receiving validation or reinforcement, you are probably going to be disappointed. Some other motivation is required to post on a site like this, I think. It is easier to post on a partisan site, but it can be pretty boring, too. I enjoy the challenge of seeing my arguments tested, countered, ridiculed, and when, for a challenger.....substance fails, it is even sometimes interesting to be subjected to personal attacks.

There is something to be said for simply learning how to "hold your own" in a political discussion.