DebateThis

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I'm late, but I had a lot to say and I wanted to make sure it didnt sound stupid and was relatively easy to understand.

So here it is....

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DebateThis is a web-based, utility-style application that allows users from all over the country to exercise, share and expose their news knowledge by competing in digital online debates.

DebateThis is a revolution in learning, critical thinking and competition. By creating a forum for people to share conflicting opinions, members of the DebateThis society will have to be well informed of the current events and issues that surround them.

As new media churns out new ideas and ways to gather information, DebateThis is a way to funnel that into something both immediately positive and instantaneously appealing. DebateThis will cultivate news knowledge into competition, competition into status and status into digital fame.

Demographics

DebateThis is aimed at the politically and socially informed, ages 15-30. More importantly it is aimed both at the section of youth that is both competitive and used to a certain level of digital recognition and fame.

This covers both the iGeneration and yGeneration, two groups of young people who expect technical simplicity, creativity, style, entertainment, instant gratification and most importantly: themselves.

These are the children of YouTube, Myspace and Facebook… where fame is not only a possibility; it is, to a certain extent very expected. DebateThis feeds into that desire in such a way that allows news and the ability to gather news to take center stage in that hunt for notoriety.

How does it Function?

DebateThis is a widget. A clickable, linkable icon that can attach to nearly any web 2.0 savvy web page. DebateThis will feature its own website where you can customize you're own user profile and install the browser-embedded software, ala StumbleUpon or Skype.After the software is installed, an icon will appear at the bottom of all stories from participating news organizations.

For example if CNN and The New York Times both pick this up, the icon will appear at the bottom of nearly every story the DebateThis user reads.

Clicking on the icon takes you to TheArena, a sub-page that is back within the DebateThis website itself. There you will see a enclosed version of the article along with a section to "Spark a Debate."

Basically, the first person to comment can say anything he or she wants about the article in controlled but challenging manner. The idea is that the person comments on something in or about the article that in effect, challenges the other members of the DebateThis community.

That challenge can be in an audio, video, print or multimedia format and is displayed prominently on the articles own arena page (and also linked to each individual poster's blog).

Other members then come out of the woodwork to counter the argument, statement or question.The motivation is that each time a user posts something thought-provoking and directly tackles whatever was said in a way that it almost trumps the other user, it earns points for that user.

The user community can vote on each post. Points are awarded for the number of positive ratings as well as number of hits per each post. Accumulating points allows each member to become more influential in the community.

The top point earners are always displayed on the homepage where users can find out more about that person. A senior point earner may be able to write his or her own articles for the page or have his own featured space where other users can listen to more of what he has to say.

A member may become such a good and knowledgeable debater that his fame can travel across the entire community. With enough points and position in the community, he may even grow a following and then a team, where other members work to post together under his leadership.

Starting/signing up

To begin using DebateThis…

1) A new user must go to DebateThis.com and choose to sign up for a new account, this correlates with the automatic installation of the DebateThis browser-embedded software (think StumbleUpon)

2) After installation the user is than taken to his new Debater homepage. This is similar to a facebook-style community network page complete with interests, contact information, etc. However there are changes for the news and political angles of Debate this. (more on that later)

3) The user may then customize his homepage and Debate settings.

4) That’s it. After the software and customizations, the user is then able to go to any participating news network organization homepage and a DebateThis icon will be selectable at the bottom of every relevant story.

5) Start debating!

DebateThis Homepage

The DebateThis homepage is the hub of the network. This is ground zero for everything in the DebateThis community. It is here where you will find links to specific arenas, participating news homepages, interesting articles, DebateSpace community profile pages, relevant videos and clips, blogs and opinions from top debaters, links to debater status and the DebateThis leader board. This is also where new users will come to sign up for the community.

DebateSpace

DebateSpace is the network of individual Facebook style profiles that features the DebateThis user community. Every registered member of DebateThis receives DebateSpace upon signing up.

DebateSpace comes with contact information, places for relevant pictures, audio, video, progeganda, etc. It also has space for rants, write-ups and blogs.

Instead of a wall, DebateSpace features an ongoing log of all postings from previous debates. The format is similar to an online journal and the user can make comments on his or her performance.

The hook for this is that DebateSpace is completely organic. It is based solely on the number of points a DebateThis user accumulates from competing and debating in various news arenas. The more points a user has, the more he can customize his individual DebateSpace.

Here is an example: A user new to DebateThis will have space for his profile picture, debating log, the standard DebateThis color scheme and basic contact information

A DebateThis master or senior point earner will have purchased (through the point system) space for hundreds of pictures, audio files, videos and weblinks, he will have custom colors, subgroups, dynamic contact information, space for rants, custom widgets and a whole host of other material at his disposal.

The News Arenas

A News Arena is basically a chain of DebateThis debating. With the DebateThis software, any relevant news article by a particiaping news organization can turn into an arena.

Here’s how it works:

1) A DT member clicks on an article, reads it and scrolls down to the bottom. Lets say the article is titled “Obama Inexperienced for 08.”

2) Member X is infuriated by this article and clicks “DebateThis!”

3) From there, the member is taking to the “Obama Inexperienced for 08” arena. He is the first to enter as this is a brand new article so he clicks the “Spark a Debate” icon.

**The length, format and extensiveness of each user’s post is completely organic and based once again of the DebateThis point system.

Example: A brand new user is limited to creating only a text post with a very limited space (maybe one or two paragraphs max).

An advanced user has a whole page for posting, can create audio and video clips featuring whatever creative message he chooses to get across as well as links, pictures, etc.

Basically an advanced point earner has an extensive arsenal at his disposal for gaining points and respect in any given arena, where a new user can only use a very brief and limited medium.**

4) After choosing to spark a new debate, the user (lets say he is a new user so is limited to restricted text) posts a short paragraph on Obama. Maybe he agrees with points in the article that say he’s experienced or maybe he agrees with the ones that say he is completely inexperienced.

Whatever he chooses to write about, he does so and posts it on the area wall. After the post, DebateThis then asks him to pose an open challenge. It could say “prove me wrong” or “why exactly do you think Obama is experienced” or “There is nothing you can say to trump my argument.” This statement prompts other users to jump in.

**What I’m visualizing for the arena is very hard to convey. But I see the acuall article in a stylized flash format with almost like tree branches of differing debates.**

5) Member Y sees this post and wants to post and can either decide to post a well thought out rebuttal or spark another debate.

6) As the debate continues to sprawl, every member in the community can make a simple vote to decide how many points he or she will give the user for his or her post.

The Point System

Voting, like everything else, is organic and dependant on user points. A new user can only select “I liked it” or “I didn’t like it” to each member’s post while an advanced user can select a range of options from “This is a horrible argument” to “Apply to promote this user now.” His points may also open up a star system (1/5 to 5/5 stars) and a comment/message system for offering advice or criticism.

The most advanced users may become so high ranking that they, in effect, become moderators who check for the content of posts and may choose to censor or delete posts based on the DebateThis user agreement. (Think GMs in role playing games, etc)

The more points you obtain for users, the more options become available, the more cool stuff unlocks and most importantly… the more famous you become in the community.

There is also a ranking system which correlates with the point system. In other words having 0 to 100 points is the status of “New User” where has having 1,000,000+ points grants the status of “Master” or something cool sounding.

Loose Example: Milestones

00 points: New User Status Obtained
15 points: 100 words of new space available for posting!
30 points: search feature unlocked
45 points: New DebateSpace widget available!
70 points: 15 seconds of Audio posting now available!
100 points: Rookie User Status Obtained
New widget unlocked
New DebateSpace Custom color available!
Etc.

Think gaining rpg levels + a cashing in carnival tickets for junk + gaining status in a community.

**Any post with clearly bellow the belt, over the line, unrelated/spamcious or just plain offensive will be moderated by a team of the site's moderators (probably including senior point earners if they so choose). That user is then subject to loose points, status, privileges or may be outright blocked from usage.**


Why people will eat this up…

Fame, rewards, competition, a chance to be heard, people love critizing everything, people think they know everything, huge political, moral and ethical divide in this country right now.

How is it news relevant…

Its completely based on reading/watching the news, user must be prepared or will get embarrassed, user’s status depends entirely on his or her dedication to news and how well they articulate that.

Why will new organizations like it…

Users absolutely can not debate without going through each article from the news provider, a chance to advertise ‘coolness’, more hits, more excitement for reading generic stuff, more volume.

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That’s all for now, thanks for reading.