Frequently Asked Questions

ar·​gu·​ment : a coherent series of reasons, statements, or facts intended to support or establish a point of view.

Argument should be thoughtful and somewhat educational. Before you post, please make sure to search for a similar argument. You can search for arguments by their title or tags. A good source for information is our Best Practices page.

Please avoid arguments that are indented to offend a insult users of our community. Arguments that are intended to incite or promote violence will also not be allowed.

I'll Debate You - Debate Platform is a discussion group site - it is not a question and answer forum. We strongly encourage users to debate the argument when posting a rebuttal as they tend to enhance the quality of the forum.

For brief discussion, or to thank someone for their insight, please post comments, not rebuttals.

The short answer is: you. This website is moderated by the users. The points system allows users to earn rights to perform a variety of moderation tasks.

Click on the Edit Profile link in the drop-down menu in the upper right site of the page. In the Avatar section, you can either choose the default avatar or upload one from your computer. Be sure to press the Save Profile button anytime you make a change to your account.

Users with less than 150 points earned will have their content moderated. This is just a simple way to reduce the SPAM posts on this website. Don't worry...getting to 150 points will only take a day or two depending on your participation.

OP stand for "Original" Poster". This simply indicates who posted the Argument or Rebuttal.

When an argument or rebuttal is voted up, the user who posted it will gain points. These points serve as a rough measure of the community trust in that person. Various moderation tasks are gradually assigned to the users based on those points.

For example, if you post an interesting argument or a compelling rebuttal, it will likely be voted up. On the other hand if the argument is poorly-worded or the argument is misleading - it will likely be voted down. Each up vote on an argument will generate 5 points, whereas each vote against will subtract 2 points. The following table lists points gained per activity:

Posting an argument:	+ 10 points
Selecting a rebuttal for your argument:	+ 10 points
Per up vote on your argument:	+ 5 points
Per down vote on your argument:	- 2 points
Limit from up votes on each argument:	+ 10 points
Limit from down votes on each argument:	– 4 points
Posting a rebuttal:	+ 5 points
Having your rebuttal selected as the best:	+ 15 points
Per up vote on your rebuttal:	+ 5 points
Per down vote on your rebuttal:	- 2 points
Limit from up votes on each rebuttal:	+ 20 points
Limit from down votes on each rebuttal:	– 5 points
Per up vote on your comments:	+ 1 points
Limit from up votes on each comment:	+ 5 points
Limit from down votes on each comment:	+ 3 points
Voting up an argument:	+ 1 points
Voting up a rebuttal:	+ 1 points
Signup bonus for new users:	+ 100 points

Yes, there are several activities that can result in additional points. Our system currently offers bonus points for logging into the site on a daily basis. We offer points for referring new users who signup. There are also potential bonus points awarded for being a good steward of the site. The best way to accumulate points is to be a consistent contributor.

When you bump an argument, you move it to the top of the list. As new arguments are posted, the bumped argument will work its way back down the list. This is a way of promoting the argument to new users, or users who may not have seen it previously.

When you pin an argument, your argument is moved to the top of all the activity lists except the front page. The post is also featured with a highlighted background. The post will stay at the top for as long as you pinned the argument for regardless of how many other arguments are posted. This gives your argument the most exposure to other users. There is also a limit of 2 pinned arguments that are allowed at any one time.