Voting early is not universally wrong.
IamFry said 03/05, 11:05 PM
(This refers to e-d voting exclusively.)
There is nothing wrong with voting early under some conditions, provided you will review all arguments once they have concluded and amend your vote if necessary.
For one thing, say you agree with a principle which is being advocated by someone who is getting killed in the vote by someone who, you've determined, doesn't have wherewithal to convince you otherwise. Wouldn't you cast your vote early?
That is, wouldn't you cast a vote early to combat other early vote-casters?
Or, wouldn't you cast your vote once you've determined that, based on the claim, the argument, and the arguer, there simply is no way that your mind is being changed today?
Paradox warning: if you cast your vote early AGAINST me (to be a funny guy, lol), the world will explode.
Hadrian said 03/06, 03:45 PM
I took this issue on primarily out of principle. Out of all the things there are to debate about in the world, you chose to debate about the functioning of a debate site? Can you get more self-referential than that? A debate about the functioning of the site itself is a dangerous auger of a "Seinfeldian" style of public discourse. What is the next debate -- that you are "Sponge-worthy"?
On to the particulars. I have voted against you. I'm waiting for the world to explode. Is there an expiration date on your prediction? I want to pre-schedule my victory dance.
Lets continue a focus on this debate and use it as an example of early voting. You say that "Voting early is not universally wrong". Apparently its wrong in this case. First you issue a warning about the world ending. And then you have not yet even voted for yourself!
That said, my position is that voting early is universally right provided you review all arguments once they have concluded and amend your vote if necessary.
IamFry said 03/06, 04:49 PM
Oh my god! I didn't realize that you could vote for yourself! Wow, I could have a way better record by now - I lost two by 1 and tied another. That's stupid though; of course you agree with yourself, but I digress.
I assure you, the world will explode. Physicists believe it will happen when the sun goes supernova, some eight-billion years from now.
Now, your universally right position doesn't contradict mine. It's like "It's a car" vs. "It's a blue car".
Secondly, a debate about debate mechanisms on a debate site makes more sense than a debate about debate mechanics on, say, the Chocolate Rain guy's website. I maintain that there's nothing wrong with voting early under certain conditions. Thank you.
Hadrian said 03/06, 10:42 PM
Paradox warning, if you vote AGAINST my position that "voting early is universally right provided you review all arguments once they have concluded and amend your vote if necessary", you also be voting against your own position, and the world will explode.
Seriously, again on principle, you need to vote for my position which is stated both affirmatively and elegantly. Your position is "Voting early is not universally wrong." Well, now we know what you think it is NOT, but what do you think it IS? what it IS is "universally right"...blah blah blah.
As this is a debate about procedures on the site itself, I maintain it is better to state your position affirmatively. You did not and so you lose.
IamFry said 03/07, 08:19 AM
Please! "The world will explode," is little more than an unrelated non-sequitur. The simple fact is that the world will explode regardless of what you do, and I wanted to add an element of existentialism to my opening argument as a service.
So, you feel that my position should be stated affirmatively? It doesn't seem to always get done that way here. When in Rome, and so forth. The fact remains that you took a debate that was stated as, "Voting early is not universally wrong," thus, your position in this debate is that voting early IS universally wrong, and your own actions CONTRADICT that!
Your actions indicate that you think your position is wrong (by voting early) and your vote suggests that you think your position is right, but, since your vote says that you think voting early is universally wrong, one can only assume that, in voting early, you willfully did something that you think is wrong.
In other words, you're a depraved individual and are not to be trusted; your argument is no more than the ravings of a madman. While it's true that voting early isn't always wrong, voting on time is NEVER wrong, so let's have those votes, people!
Hadrian said 03/07, 02:33 PM
You silly silly man. You say that "Voting early is not universally wrong." I counter that "Voting early is NOT not universally wrong, rather, voting early is universally right! I would even say that "stating your position affirmatively is universally right" and that "not stating your position affirmatively is universally wrong". In other words, you are wrong wrong wrong! Wrong to make a debate about voting. Wrong to state your position non-affirmatively. And wrong about not being wrong.
As far as my voting early (and you not), that simply demonstrates my superior understanding of the site about which you aspire to make meaningful debates. By your own admission, you have lost other debates because you not only did not vote for your own position, you also did not even know you could! And yet you now presume to be the arbitrator of right and wrong when it comes to voting. You are not now, nor will you ever be.
As far as the world exploding, I regret to inform you: It's after the end of the world - don't you know that yet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0UVHsEWxYI
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Please! Everyone knows the Chocolate Rain guy... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA
IamFry | 03/07/08
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That guy looks constipated. With come chocolate ex-lax, he may indeed soon experience some chocolate rain. Otherwise he will be doomed to sing constipated songs. Doomed to sing constipated songs. (Sing alongg to the melody of Chocolate Rain) Doomed to sing constipated songs....
Hadrian | 03/07/08
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Please keep it clean. Bad words will get filtered, and offensive comments will be removed.
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The Chocolate Rain guy? I believe that in some instances, "don't ask, dont tell" is the best policy.
Hadrian | 03/06/08
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