[Discussion] Excuses For Bad Debate Etiquette

[Admiral Valdemar]

Lord Pounder has recently enquired as to whether the use of certain excuses, such as mental disorder or medical conditions like dyslexia, warrant an immediate banning of the individual should they bring these up when called on bad debating. The reasoning being that good debate can be had from people in such situations anyway, so hiding behind such things when called on bad debate technique is a weak excuse.

Thoughts?

[Stravo]

Dyslexia I would think would just apply to your spelling and grammar and if that is the complaint in the debate I don't see why someone couldn't just say I'm dyslexic and trying my best. However if you hide behind a Wall of Ignorance and Throw out fallacies like they were going out of style what would disoders like dyslexia have to do with debating ettiquette and technique?

It gets trickier when dealing with someone who has something like Apserger's (sp?) that gives them attitude issues not just grammatical and spelling errors. There are some posters here with Asperger's that never hide behind it and never bring it up unless someone with Asperger's is using it as an excuse. That shows me that at least on some level that can be controlled by a person and shouldn't be used as a cructh.

I think outright banning is a bit harsh - but if used as a constant excuse for bad debating I can see where this becomes an issue. Using it in a bad debate single instance I can't say the person should be crucified for it.

[SirNitram]

Outright banning is a bit over-the-top, I think. However, I would take a certain sadistic pleasure in a category of derogatory title being levelled against them.

What? I'm evil. It's my thing.

[Sea Skimmer]

My opinion is deal with it, or don’t post. If someone tries to use it as an excuse, they had better concede the debate in the exact same post, otherwise some form of punishment is certainly in order. And if they do it more then once, on with the perm ban.

[RedImperator]

None of these wankers who's ever said, "Oh poor me, please excuse my lousy debating, I have a DISEASE" has ever been worth keeping around anyway. You get one warning, and then you get a spot in Parting Shots, as far as I'm concerned.

[Broomstick]

I'll cut slack to some of the folks for whom English is a second language (but not all - some of them have a command of written English better than many native speakers). Likewise, if someone is sooooo dyslexic that the problem shows up in EVERY post... but the ones throwing it out as an excuse don't fall into that category (people dyslexic to that point generally don't attempt to take on a debate in written format).

If you are so impaired that you can't cope with the rules of the board... well, I'm sorry, but maybe you shouldn't be on the board. Or limit yourself to what you can handle on the board. But if you are continually flinging yourself into situations you can't handle... I'm sorry, but I think folks get tired of hauling your ass out of the deep end of the pool. If you haven't the wit to save yourself from drowing, someone else is going to have to tie you down out of reach of the water.

Otherwise, you're hiding behind an alledged disability in order to mask a lack of 1) debating skills 2) defensible position or 3) both. Which is not how the game is played here.

Give them a chance to learn/reform, and if they don't... well, bring it back here and we'll vote on it, right? Same as for every other problem child.

[The Yosemite Bear]

I hope he ment schitzopherenia not dyslexia, after all trouble spelling doesn't make things bad or slightly trolling. Now I have manic depressive tendancies and some diabetic related moodswings. but my actions rarely reach the scale of the regular posts of those who have tried this type of excuse before.... (irony factor I'm invited to one of their weddings)

[Edi]

If we want examples of people who contribute and do not cause trouble despite their mental handicaps, we need look no further than YB, Mr Bean (supermod), SirNitram (supermod) and some others who are definitely members in good standing. It's not impossible to overcome handicaps, as they have demonstrated, and I'm not bothered by spelling errors as such if there is reasonable cause (such as dyslexia).

But it's the fucknuggets like ali-sama and otehrs who will always use a handicap as a get-out-of-jail card for every screwup, they don't deserve mercy. Like Red said, one warning and then ban. Sounds good to me.

Edi

[The Yosemite Bear]

you forgot ver. and Ancaris two of the most Manic/Depressive borderline schitzo personalities that are still capable of being members in good standing. Since we have had both of them come back to post after incidents of self mutilation/scuicide attempts. that says somthing

[Coyote]

As excuses go, it is piss-poor. I don't accept it as an excuse at all, although it may be an explanation as to some shortcomings. I feel that if someone is rendered so helpless by his/her disorder that they cannot state an argument coherently, then they should not be picking fights in the first place.

[Darth Wong]

Being an asshole is also considered a psychological disorder; I don't remember the clinical term but it was not the obvious choice, which would be "assholism" (and on that note, "assholism" would have been the coolest psychology term ever).

But in any case, just as an asshole could hardly excuse himself by saying "I suffer from assholism", a shitty debater can't excuse himself by saying that he suffers from a disorder. If he can't play the game, he should stay on the sidelines instead of stumbling onto the field and then whining when he gets clobbered.