Guidlines for Online Arguments

 This week, I am going to be discussing the argument around voter ID laws. I found this argument on reddit, a platform that I use a lot. Here is a snippet of this argument:

I chose this argument for a variety of reasons. The most important reason is that voting rights are one of the most important rights that we have as American citizens. I have a lot of views of voting, but voter ID is typically used to segregate voting (even though this is illegal). I really think that this is an important topic, and it is one that is still a hot issue in our current political landscape.

There are three major concerns that I have with this argument. First, it is extremely politically charged. Republicans and Democrats have extremely different views of this topic, which can make it particularly hard for people to find common ground during debates. Second, there is no official debate structure. Some people may see this as a pro, but I think debates are much easier to follow when there is a method to how things are being done. I think structure makes debates much more accessible for everyone. Third, there is not any form of fact checking involved with this debate. Since it is an online public forum, odds are someone can whip out a random source and use it for their argument. Odds are, people won't check it for accuracy, leading to misinformation being spread.

Here are five rules (or general guidelines ) that I think would be helpful for online arguments:

1. Only try to argue about what you know - If you aren't knowledgeable about your topic of choice, odds are you won't be able to get your point across effectively. Make sure you know opposing arguments too!
2. Be courteous - Debates are meant to be a back and forth thing. People often end up attacking others personally, especially in political spaces, undermining the point they are trying to make. 
3. Check your sources - Make sure to check your sources if you are using any in your argument. It's not a good idea to be spreading misinformation, especially with how fast it can travel.
4. Listen first, talk later - This is a skill I learned when I was very young. People are much more likely to take you seriously, and listen to you later on, if you sit and listen intently to who's speaking.
5. Know when to stop - If a debate is getting heated, it's always a good idea to know when to stop. The longer a debate goes on, the more likely that there will be negative reactions. 

I know that these rules can be extremely hard to follow, especially in the heat of the moment, but I think that these rules are paramount to understanding everyone better and creating a space where online communication can be safe and effective. 

Here is the link to the full debate if you're interested in reading more about it!

https://www.reddit.com/r/PoliticalDebate/comments/1eze8c4/whats_wrong_with_requiring_proof_of_citizenship/