# what is a great debate? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2000, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476 "2000-03-26T20:49:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/1 "2000-03-26T20:49:00Z")
david b: > [@](#): > > [Moderator Hat: ON] > A thread about sarcasm and name-calling? Hmmmm. Sorry, don’t think Great Debates is the place to discuss it. I’m sending it to the Pit. > > * * * > > David B, SDMB Great Debates Moderator > > [Moderator Hat: Handed Off to Lynn] Gaudere said: > [@](#): > > I sometimes let topics stay because there is a high likelyhood that they’ll turn into a debate. “Ask the Gay Guy” made the cut on this basis. “Ask the straight guy” and “ask the straight conservative whatever” are borderline, but might make it. link to thread: [sarcasm, name-calling and pit stuff](http://boards.straightdope.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000841.html) lynn…about my thread? is this a general question, or could it qualify as a great debate? anyway…im putting it in the great debates, for thats where it all began. bj0rn - back at the beginning ---
**Author:** ![Nu\_Vo\_Da\_Da](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/97f17d/32.png) [@Nu\_Vo\_Da\_Da](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nu_Vo_Da_Da)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2000, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/2 "2000-03-26T21:09:00Z")
Actually, it’s just irritating. ---
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/3 "2000-03-27T10:11:00Z")
sorry, but i think youre lost, the pit is over there \> [the BBQ pit](http://boards.straightdope.com/cgi-bin/ubbcgi/forumdisplay.cgi?action=topics&forum=The+BBQ+Pit&number=5&DaysPrune=20&LastLogin=) bj0rn - have a nice day! ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/4 "2000-03-27T14:47:00Z")
> [@](#): > > what is a great debate? [Moderator Hat ON] Not this. Complaints regarding the administration of the MB go in the Pit, not Great Debates. If you want to gripe about our choices in moving threads, go do it there. [Moderator Hat OFF] ---
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/5 "2000-03-27T14:54:00Z")
sigh… i was asking what a great debate is…not complaining about the administration of this message board. bj0rn - with all due respect ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/6 "2000-03-27T14:55:00Z")
Oh, no! Not another one! * * * **Coldfire** _Voted **Poster Most Likely To Post Drunk** _ * * * _ **"You know how complex women are"** _ - Neil Peart, **Rush** (1993) ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/7 "2000-03-27T15:24:00Z")
You’re asking about why topics get moved. That’s a question regarding the Straight Dope administrator. That’s why your topic is here. As for your other thread, it’s here because it also asks about why we (the administration) allow certain types of behavior. Or at least, that’s what I THINK it said. I frequently don’t even read your posts, they are too difficult to understand. Frankly, I’m not inclined to spend half an hour trying to figure out what you mean. Lynn For the Straight Dope ---
**Author:** ![WallyM7](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5e925/32.png) [@WallyM7](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WallyM7)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/8 "2000-03-27T15:31:00Z")
Whoever is putting money in bj0rn’s mouth and pressing his nose, please stop. There’s no payoff. Only gibberish. ---
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/9 "2000-03-27T16:17:00Z")
ok lynn, thanks. but it still hasnt aswered my question. what is a great debate? bj0rn - hmmm…it seems that every road i take, turn right back to the pit… ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/10 "2000-03-27T16:20:00Z")
OK, I’ll answer your question. **Anything but THIS.** * * * **Coldfire** _Voted **Poster Most Likely To Post Drunk** _ * * * _ **"You know how complex women are"** _ - Neil Peart, **Rush** (1993) ---
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/11 "2000-03-27T16:42:00Z")
coldfire: reasons? this is like a kid answering a question with: “because”. bj0rn ---
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/12 "2000-03-27T17:09:00Z")
Because I’m bigger than you. And I’ll tell Dad if you don’t stop. ---
**Author:** ![Rousseau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rousseau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rousseau)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/13 "2000-03-27T17:27:00Z")
A great debate is something that you are incapable of participating in, much less generating. Trust me. Stick with your strengths, bj0rn: being a punching bag for the Pit dwellers. Let me explain something to you, bj0rn. “What is a Great Debate” is not a great debate, since the answer is _in writing on the message board_. You can go look at it. It’s not up for discussion. Granted, a discussion about the value of sarcasm in writing (not so much irony, since it’s basically the backbone of countless great literary works) could exist in the GD forum if it were set up by someone a wee bit more competent. What you remind me of is a person from Plato’s Cave (the Pit), who, upon emerging, is both blinded and fairly confused. Just stay in the Pit, it suits you. * * * “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” -Winston Churchill ---
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/14 "2000-03-27T17:49:00Z")
wow…through all that pit stuff and flaming, rousseau accually agrees with me!!! bj0rn - ill be happy for the rest of the day 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Rousseau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rousseau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rousseau)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/15 "2000-03-27T17:51:00Z")
I did not say that. Your thread does NOT meet the qualifications of a great debate. I said that a GD thread on the topic was plausible, but only if it did not involve you in any way. * * * “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” -Winston Churchill ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2000, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/16 "2000-03-27T21:59:00Z")
Perhaps I can be of assistance. bj0rn: subject maybe good as debate. but original poster lacks intellect to get message across. someone else do it, ok. you do it, not so ok. And if that doesn’t work: oeba wakku maki loute gehu fiulode ghufe nibawi! Either he gets it now, or I just called his sister a goat felcher in Icelandic 😃 * * * **Coldfire** _Voted **Poster Most Likely To Post Drunk** _ * * * _ **"You know how complex women are"** _ - Neil Peart, **Rush** (1993) ---
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/17 "2000-03-28T16:30:00Z")
🙂 my oh my…two of my favorite posters writing to me… its always nice one is being judge from the view of perfection. it makes the goal look so close. because i am expecting different answers to the question “what is a great debate?” and provided examples from the moderators(which was considered to be a complaint). i belived that the all answers could be “correct” but debatable. hence my thread in the great debates. bj0rn - gee whiz…didnt you know that? ---
**Author:** ![Rousseau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Rousseau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rousseau)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2000, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/18 "2000-03-28T23:55:00Z")
A Great Debate is: “For long-running discussions of the great questions of our time, e.g., man’s fate, free will vs. predestination, Kirk vs. Picard. This is also the place for religious debates and (if you feel you must) witnessing.” End of story. So there you have it, bj0rn, a concrete in-writing answer to your question. Erego, the question (“what is a great debate”), is not a Great Debate. Coldfire, try speaking in bj0rnese: debate is criteria of great debate but poster does not have _logic_ and so cannot create. debate is pen and so _illogical_ cannot realize communication. or is it not possible? Rousseau- cup of soup? * * * “History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.” -Winston Churchill ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 8:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/19 "2000-03-29T08:55:00Z")
rouseau, i belive you are full of shit yankee scum opressing my tiny country. leav now or be killd by 1000000 hamsters wearing clogs. coldfire - is the devul realy fom luxemburg? ---
**Author:** ![bj0rn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e57/32.png) [@bj0rn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bj0rn)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2000, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476/20 "2000-03-29T12:40:00Z")
you two seem to be having fun… > [@](#): > > “For long-running discussions of the great questions of our time, e.g., man’s fate, free will vs. predestination, Kirk vs. Picard. This is also the place for religious debates and (if you feel you must) witnessing.” > End of story. So there you have it, bj0rn, a concrete in-writing answer to your question. Erego, the question (“what is a great debate”), is not a Great Debate. so, because its not in the list, it cant be a great debate eh? should i have said “how do you define a great debate?” or “what charecterizes a great debate?”. i really do not think i matters. for almost every subject can be “debated greatly”. bj0rn - right… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-a-great-debate/5476.md?page=2)