[eDebate] debatepedia -- potential for education and outreach

[Ross K. Smith]

There is something new in the world, 
http://debatepedia.com/index.php/Main_Page

The main page explains:
Welcome to Debatepedia. Debatepedia is the new free wiki encyclopedia of 
arguments and debates. As a "wiki", it enables anyone (you included) to 
easily present and organize the unique arguments made by third-party 
sources (ie. by scholars, experts, leaders,...) on both sides of a 
debate. By providing an innovative "logic tree" debate methodology, it 
enables you to organize debates in the most understandable way. 
Debatepedia is quickly becoming an indispensable resource for uncovering 
all the unique arguments in important public debates and for developing 
a complete and rational position.

Potential for our community:
1) tool for debate classes, workshops, novice debate training.

2) Members of our community are capable of being the leading 
contributors to debatepedia: no other people have our ability to plug in 
and build the content.

3) We can use the platform to create "open source" files on our 
competitive debate topics. We do not have to simply add to arguments on 
pre-existing topics. We can create new ones at the site.

There is much more to be said, surely. But in the rapidly changing 
infotech and political world, this is one piece of the puzzle that has 
potential to help build a bridge between our community and the wider 
world of citizens who care about the issues.


Ross K. Smith
Debate Coach
Wake Forest University

336-758-5268 (o)
336-251-2076 (cell)

www.DebateScoop.org