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Debate Rooms

Argue well. Win on the merits.

Debate Rooms are structured discussion spaces: a motion, two sides, timed rounds, evidence, an audience vote and a moderator’s scorecard.

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What you get

Why Debate Rooms works

Timed rounds

Each room has a set number of rounds and a clock. Debaters make one argument per round, so every word has to count.

Evidence attached

Back your argument with links, images and documents. The moderator scores evidence separately from rhetoric.

Audience voting

Anyone watching can vote for the side that argued better — and change their vote as the debate develops.

Moderator evaluation

The moderator scores each side on argument, evidence, rebuttal and conduct. Their scorecard counts for 60% of the result; the audience for 40%.

How it works

Using Debate Rooms, step by step

  1. 1

    Open or join a room

    Set a motion, subject, number of rounds and round length — or take a seat on the Proposition or Opposition in an open room.

  2. 2

    Debate against the clock

    The moderator starts the room. Rounds advance automatically when time runs out.

  3. 3

    Voting and verdict

    After the final round the audience votes, the moderator submits scores, and the room publishes the result.

The rules

How a debate is decided

Results are computed the same way in every room, and the full breakdown is published.

Taking part
Debaters who make at least one argument earn 15 points when the debate closes.
Winning
Debaters on the winning side earn a further 35 points.
Audience
Voting earns 1 point (up to 5 a day). Debaters and the moderator cannot vote in their own room.
Moderating
A moderator who submits an evaluation earns 10 points.
No evaluation?
If the moderator does not score the debate, the audience vote decides it alone.

Questions

Good to know

Who can moderate?
The person who opens the room moderates it, and moderators do not debate in their own room. Teachers often open rooms for their classes.
What happens if a debater goes quiet?
The clock does not wait. A side that misses a round simply has no argument for it, which the audience and moderator will notice.
Are arguments moderated?
Yes. Arguments pass through the same safety filter as posts and can be reported by anyone in the room.

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