Deadlocks in Debates

[aimeeandbeatles]

In one of my school history books I remember reading that WWI had a lot of deadlocks and stalemates where they spent weeks fighting over a few yards of mud. I looked that up and it said in the dictionary:
A situation in which no progress can be made or no advancement is possible

So I think that often describes what happens to a lot of the debates/arguments in OT. People get hung up in arguing over the meaning of a word or whether this guy did that or what the Bible says that the arguing just gets deadlocked. And sometimes several people get so much into arguing with each other that it discourages latecomers from jumping into the argument b'cos they know they'll just get ignored (It's happened to me several times, I see a debate that Im interested in doing but I don't bother b'cos of the reasons). Or the walls of text where two people pick apart each other posts into a bunch of quotes and it gets into the little details instead of the post as a whole.

Am I the only one who thinks this is a problem? If not, what can we do to reduce this? Or is there nothing.

 

[Abaddon]

This is a big problem.

There is no solution other then ignoring the two going at it :/

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

It is very frustrating though.

 

[Cutlass]

If you got rid of that OT would be a ghost town...

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

What about real debate?

 

[Cutlass]

On rare occasions it happens. Mostly not.

 

[Lord Baal]

What about real debate?

That has absolutely no place in OT, and you know it.

I hereby provide the following solution to deadlocks.

 

[Joecoolyo]

Am I the only one who thinks this is a problem? If not, what can we do to reduce this? Or is there nothing.

Well, just like WWI, let the two sides duke it out for a couple years, wear each of them down to a nub, then send in the Americans

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Yeah but by that time the threads are either locked or have fallen 5 pages down.

 

[Perfection]

Call in Perfs.

 

[Virote_Considon]

Well, just like WWI, let the two sides duke it out for a couple years, wear each of them down to a nub, then send in the Americans

Its normally Americans who start it

 

[azzaman333]

Ignore the threads in which such arguments happen.

 

[Hygro]

This is a big problem.

There is no solution other then ignoring the two going at it :/

The solution is to force the two to put EACH OTHER on ignore

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

Yeah, I can think of a few members who are notorious for it but Im not gonna name anyone,

 

[MobBoss]

The solution is to force the two to put EACH OTHER on ignore

No. In fact, I would say mods should come down hard on people who tell others to ignore each other.

You cant force others or control them. You do have control over what you post. If you dont care for the discussion, fine, dont comment and just walk away. Or, if you think it reportable, then report it then walk away.

But telling two people to just ignore each other isnt a regular posters place and its just trolling to be honest. It helps nothing to make such comments.

 

[JollyRoger]

No. In fact, I would say mods should come down hard on people who tell others to ignore each other.

You cant force others or control them. You do have control over what you post. If you dont care for the discussion, fine, dont comment and just walk away. Or, if you think it reportable, then report it then walk away.

But telling two people to just ignore each other isnt a regular posters place and its just trolling to be honest. It helps nothing to make such comments.

Agreed.

 

[aimeeandbeatles]

But when its detrimental to OT?

 

[MobBoss]

But when its detrimental to OT?

Not your place to decide that. /report it and move on.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The solution is to force the two to put EACH OTHER on ignore

I've seen that tried on other forums, and it only works if the people in question both obey the admins' instruction to ignore each other. There are ways to get around it, and it's basically unenforceable.

There are other ways of dealing with such a situation, but so far the admins here have opted not to use them (and don't ask what these ways are; I have no intention of getting into them).

 

[Perfection]

If the debate is deadlocked, do call Perf he will come in and give everyone the clear truth they need