> * The problem:*

> To form a well-reasoned opinion, you need the best arguments on different
> sides of a debate. Wikipedia stresses neutral point of view and so make it's
> content hard to contrast with your current understanding. While every wiki
> houses content, a method is needed to help the community express contrasting
> opinions.

> * The Debatum solution:*
> Debatum is a wiki with a method that guides uses to document and
> interconnect arguments. Examples it uses include debating controversial
> issues such as:

>     1. Can computers think?
>     2. When is a declaration of independence reasonable?
>     3. Does God Exist?
>     4. Should there be Net Neutrality?

> Debatum overlays a methodology over the wiki to encourage the growth of
> disparate viewpoints to inform and persuade readers. This provides users to
> enrich the arguments and powerfully inform and influence others.

> While Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, Debatum wants to be an interconnect of
> arguments, ideas, and lines of thought. While Wikipedia stresses a Neutral
> Point of view, Debatum's goal is to write the best arguments of each side
> and include weak, yet popular arguments together with (strong)
> counter-arguments. Unlike Wikipedia, which accepts content only if it is
> written outside, Debatum seeks to mesh arguments with original thinking from
> participants.

> Debatum's goal is to well-thought-out opinions, rather than to facilitate
> "winning" debates. Debatum's motto is "Knowledge by debate".

> *Additional topics:*

> - We will discuss other attempts to approach online debates (wiki-based or
> not) and compare them to Debatum.
> - We ask whether Wiki is actually the ideal format for documenting
> debates.
> - We question whether (controversial) subjects be learned faster from a
> "debating construct" instead of a "plain" layout?
> - We discuss whether a wiki format discourages rhetoric and ask whether
> this is a good thing.

> *What's being presented and about our speaker:*
> As part of the 2008 Toronto Wiki Tuesday Guest Speaker Series, *Adrian
> Fritsch* (Software Consultant and founder of debatum.org) will lead
> discussions at Toronto Wiki Tuesday at *Epicure Cafe*,  Here's Adrian's
> event description:

> What: *Toronto Wiki Tuesdays: using Wikis to Debate
> *

> > * The problem:*

> > To form a well-reasoned opinion, you need the best arguments on different
> > sides of a debate. Wikipedia stresses neutral point of view and so make it's
> > content hard to contrast with your current understanding. While every wiki
> > houses content, a method is needed to help the community express contrasting
> > opinions.

> > * The Debatum solution:*
> > Debatum is a wiki with a method that guides uses to document and
> > interconnect arguments. Examples it uses include debating controversial
> > issues such as:

> >     1. Can computers think?
> >     2. When is a declaration of independence reasonable?
> >     3. Does God Exist?
> >     4. Should there be Net Neutrality?

> > Debatum overlays a methodology over the wiki to encourage the growth of
> > disparate viewpoints to inform and persuade readers. This provides users to
> > enrich the arguments and powerfully inform and influence others.

> > While Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, Debatum wants to be an interconnect of
> > arguments, ideas, and lines of thought. While Wikipedia stresses a Neutral
> > Point of view, Debatum's goal is to write the best arguments of each side
> > and include weak, yet popular arguments together with (strong)
> > counter-arguments. Unlike Wikipedia, which accepts content only if it is
> > written outside, Debatum seeks to mesh arguments with original thinking from
> > participants.

> > Debatum's goal is to well-thought-out opinions, rather than to facilitate
> > "winning" debates. Debatum's motto is "Knowledge by debate".

> > *Additional topics:*

> > - We will discuss other attempts to approach online debates (wiki-based or
> > not) and compare them to Debatum.
> > - We ask whether Wiki is actually the ideal format for documenting
> > debates.
> > - We question whether (controversial) subjects be learned faster from a
> > "debating construct" instead of a "plain" layout?
> > - We discuss whether a wiki format discourages rhetoric and ask whether
> > this is a good thing.

> After Adrians talk we'll turn the conversation to the audience to discuss
> how, where and why Wikis are usually used in Politics and in what ways
> Debatum offers something new. Expect a lively discussion of the
> opportunities and resistance to wikis in politics.

> *When and Where:*
> 6:30pm, Tuesday 8th April at 502 Queen Street West in the Front Room:http://www.theepicure.ca/event.html
> *Please sign up for this event *at* *http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/444745/
> *Join our mailing list*http://groups.google.com/group/torontowikituesday/
> *
> **Who should come and why:
> *Interested in the topic? Got an opinion or unique use of a wiki? Or just
> interested to network? Come join our community. *
> *

>    - Parties interested in expression of contraversal or political
>    material on wikis.
>    - Wikipedians responsible for promoting a neutral point of view
>    - Anyone who thinks that wikis are not the place to express dissent
>    - Technical writers responsible for documentation tasks
>    - Managers and leaders trying to understand the potential of wikis
>    - Change transformation agents using wikis to instigate organisational
>    transparency using a wiki
>    - Wiki users Wiki gardeners who improve content clarity

> *
> About Toronto Wiki Tuesdays and **Blended Perspectives:
> *Toronto Wiki Tuesdays has been running since 2005 and has a mandate to
> spread the word about how a wiki can transform communication in
> organisations and the nature of business. Toronto Wiki Tuesdays was founded
> and is run by Martin Cleaver M.Sc. MBA, Head Blender of Blended
> Perspectives<http://www.blendedperspectives.com/>,
> a wiki consulting firm based in Toronto, and a Chair of WikiSym, the
> International Symposium on the use of Wikis. *
> *

>    - *http://www.torontowikituesdays.com/*
>    - *
>    http://martin.cleaver.org/blog/2008/03/03/toronto-wiki-tuesdays-march...
>    *
>    - *
>    http://martin.cleaver.org/blog/2008/03/05/wikisym2008-im-chair-for-de...
>    *

> *About our Sponsor:
> *April's Toronto Wiki Tuesdays is sponsored by the Society of Internet
> Professsionals. Seehttp://www.sipgroup.org/andhttp://www.sipgroup.blogspot.com/

> * Upcoming Toronto Wiki Tuesdays*
> Here are contained the dates and the topics for Toronto Wiki Tuesdays for
> the next 3 months.

>  *Apr 8*
> Tuesday   Toronto Wiki Tuesdays: Wikis in
> Politics<http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/444745/>

>  Toronto's monthly gathering about wiki technologies, deployments and
> adoption. Come along, share your story over a beer. This month's speaker
> will be Adrian Fritsch, who will give us a run-down of De...
>   Epicure Cafe <http://upcoming.yahoo.com/venue/26641/>
>  Toronto, ON
>   *May 13*
> Tuesday   Toronto Wiki Tuesdays: Wikis in
> Education<http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/468369/>
>  Toronto's monthly gathering about wiki technologies, deployments and
> adoption. Come along, share your story over a beer. This month's speaker
> will be Vanessa Peters, lecturer at OISE, talking about t...
>    To be decided! <http://upcoming.yahoo.com/venue/119485/>
>  Toronto, ON
>   *Jun 10*
> Tuesday   Toronto Wiki Tuesdays: Wikis and Social
> Networking<http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/468371/>

>  Toronto's monthly gathering about wiki technologies, deployments and
> adoption. Come along, share your story over a beer. This month's speaker
> will be Nelson Ko, CEO of Citidel Rock, talking about how...

> --
> Martin Cleaver MSc MBA
> Cell: 416-786-6752
> Martin.Clea...@BlendedPerspectives.com
> *Principal*,http://www.blendedperspectives.com/
> *Founder*,http://www.torontowikituesdays.com/
> *Chair*,http://www.wikisym.org/ws2008/

On Thu, Apr 3, 2008 at 10:09 PM, a f <adria...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Well, the above description ended up being slightly more Martin's
> description than mine...

> In a nutshell, the big, (very)long-term goal of Debatum is to create a
> comprehensive reference of controversial ideas and the related
> knowledge. A reader should be able to quickly grasp the best arguments
> of each side, and get the picture of where this debate fits in the
> much larger context of the related debates and ideas.

> For the short-term we want to build a critical mass of reference
> articles/debates to serve as the model, and at the same time, refine a
> set of guiding principles in building Debatum. At the meeting I will
> present my initial vision of article's layout - with a few examples,
> and my initial set of principles.

> One of the most difficult question I could receive is: "why not do
> this in Wikipedia?", but I think I have some good answers to that.
> Looking forward to other difficult questions and... arguments from
> you...

> Adrian Fritsch

> On Apr 3, 9:02 pm, "Mar...@Cleaver.org" <Mar...@Cleaver.org> wrote:
> > *What's being presented and about our speaker:*
> > As part of the 2008 Toronto Wiki Tuesday Guest Speaker Series, *Adrian
> > Fritsch* (Software Consultant and founder of debatum.org) will lead
> > discussions at Toronto Wiki Tuesday at *Epicure Cafe*,  Here's Adrian's
> > event description:

> > What: *Toronto Wiki Tuesdays: using Wikis to Debate
> > *

> > > * The problem:*

> > > To form a well-reasoned opinion, you need the best arguments on
> different
> > > sides of a debate. Wikipedia stresses neutral point of view and so
> make it's
> > > content hard to contrast with your current understanding. While every
> wiki
> > > houses content, a method is needed to help the community express
> contrasting
> > > opinions.

> > > * The Debatum solution:*
> > > Debatum is a wiki with a method that guides uses to document and
> > > interconnect arguments. Examples it uses include debating
> controversial
> > > issues such as:

> > >     1. Can computers think?
> > >     2. When is a declaration of independence reasonable?
> > >     3. Does God Exist?
> > >     4. Should there be Net Neutrality?

> > > Debatum overlays a methodology over the wiki to encourage the growth
> of
> > > disparate viewpoints to inform and persuade readers. This provides
> users to
> > > enrich the arguments and powerfully inform and influence others.

> > > While Wikipedia is an encyclopedia, Debatum wants to be an
> interconnect of
> > > arguments, ideas, and lines of thought. While Wikipedia stresses a
> Neutral
> > > Point of view, Debatum's goal is to write the best arguments of each
> side
> > > and include weak, yet popular arguments together with (strong)
> > > counter-arguments. Unlike Wikipedia, which accepts content only if it
> is
> > > written outside, Debatum seeks to mesh arguments with original
> thinking from
> > > participants.

> > > Debatum's goal is to well-thought-out opinions, rather than to
> facilitate
> > > "winning" debates. Debatum's motto is "Knowledge by debate".

> > > *Additional topics:*

> > > - We will discuss other attempts to approach online debates
> (wiki-based or
> > > not) and compare them to Debatum.
> > > - We ask whether Wiki is actually the ideal format for documenting
> > > debates.
> > > - We question whether (controversial) subjects be learned faster from
> a
> > > "debating construct" instead of a "plain" layout?
> > > - We discuss whether a wiki format discourages rhetoric and ask
> whether
> > > this is a good thing.

> > After Adrians talk we'll turn the conversation to the audience to
> discuss
> > how, where and why Wikis are usually used in Politics and in what ways
> > Debatum offers something new. Expect a lively discussion of the
> > opportunities and resistance to wikis in politics.

> > *When and Where:*
> > 6:30pm, Tuesday 8th April at 502 Queen Street West in the Front Room:
> http://www.theepicure.ca/event.html
> > *Please sign up for this event *at* *
> http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/444745/
> > *Join our mailing list*
> http://groups.google.com/group/torontowikituesday/
> > *
> > **Who should come and why:
> > *Interested in the topic? Got an opinion or unique use of a wiki? Or
> just
> > interested to network? Come join our community. *
> > *

> >    - Parties interested in expression of contraversal or political
> >    material on wikis.
> >    - Wikipedians responsible for promoting a neutral point of view
> >    - Anyone who thinks that wikis are not the place to express dissent
> >    - Technical writers responsible for documentation tasks
> >    - Managers and leaders trying to understand the potential of wikis
> >    - Change transformation agents using wikis to instigate
> organisational
> >    transparency using a wiki
> >    - Wiki users Wiki gardeners who improve content clarity

> > *
> > About Toronto Wiki Tuesdays and **Blended Perspectives:
> > *Toronto Wiki Tuesdays has been running since 2005 and has a mandate to
> > spread the word about how a wiki can transform communication in
> > organisations and the nature of business. Toronto Wiki Tuesdays was
> founded
> > and is run by Martin Cleaver M.Sc. MBA, Head Blender of Blended
> > Perspectives<http://www.blendedperspectives.com/>,
> > a wiki consulting firm based in Toronto, and a Chair of WikiSym, the
> > International Symposium on the use of Wikis. *
> > *

> >    - *http://www.torontowikituesdays.com/*
> >    - *

> http://martin.cleaver.org/blog/2008/03/03/toronto-wiki-tuesdays-march...
> >    *
> >    - *

> http://martin.cleaver.org/blog/2008/03/05/wikisym2008-im-chair-for-de...
> >    *

> > *About our Sponsor:
> > *April's Toronto Wiki Tuesdays is sponsored by the Society of Internet
> > Professsionals. Seehttp://
> www.sipgroup.org/andhttp://www.sipgroup.blogspot.com/

> > * Upcoming Toronto Wiki Tuesdays*
> > Here are contained the dates and the topics for Toronto Wiki Tuesdays
> for
> > the next 3 months.

> >  *Apr 8*
> > Tuesday   Toronto Wiki Tuesdays: Wikis in
> > Politics<http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/444745/>

> >  Toronto's monthly gathering about wiki technologies, deployments and
> > adoption. Come along, share your story over a beer. This month's speaker
> > will be Adrian Fritsch, who will give us a run-down of De...
> >   Epicure Cafe <http://upcoming.yahoo.com/venue/26641/>
> >  Toronto, ON
> >   *May 13*
> > Tuesday   Toronto Wiki Tuesdays: Wikis in
> > Education<http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/468369/>
> >  Toronto's monthly gathering about wiki technologies, deployments and
> > adoption. Come along, share your story over a beer. This month's speaker
> > will be Vanessa Peters, lecturer at OISE, talking about t...
> >    To be decided! <http://upcoming.yahoo.com/venue/119485/>
> >  Toronto, ON
> >   *Jun 10*
> > Tuesday   Toronto Wiki Tuesdays: Wikis and Social
> > Networking<http://upcoming.yahoo.com/event/468371/>

> >  Toronto's monthly gathering about wiki technologies, deployments and
> > adoption. Come along, share your story over a beer. This month's speaker
> > will be Nelson Ko, CEO of Citidel Rock, talking about how...

> > --
> > Martin Cleaver MSc MBA
> > Cell: 416-786-6752
> > Martin.Clea...@BlendedPerspectives.com
> > *Principal*,http://www.blendedperspectives.com/
> > *Founder*,http://www.torontowikituesdays.com/
> > *Chair*,http://www.wikisym.org/ws2008/