Frequently Asked Questions

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What do the buttons/icons displayed within each argument do?

Within each argument in a debate, there is a yellow box with three buttons/icons, which can be used to influence the score and ranking of the argument.


<- Click the up arrow to vote the argument "up".
<- Click the equal sign to cancel an "up" or "down" vote (i.e. vote neutral on the argument).
<- Click the down arrow to vote the argument "down".

As you might expect, voting an argument "up" signals that you support the argument, and makes it more likely to appear at the top of all the listed arguments. Voting an argument "down" signifies that you disagree with the argument, and makes it more likely to appear at the bottom of all the listed arguments.

At the bottom of each argument, there are three additional buttons, which cause the following actions:

Post a rebuttal to the argument.
View rebuttals and additional details for the argument.
Flag the argument for abuse.

How is the score computed for each argument?

The score for each argument in the debate is determined by the number of "up" votes and "down" votes it has received. For arguments on the "yes" side of the debate, the score is the percentage of "up" votes it has received from users who are on the "yes" side of the debate. For arguments on the "no" side of the debate, the score is the percentage of "up" votes it has received from users who are on the "no" side of the debate. Note that when these percentages are computed, "up" and "down" votes from users on the opposite side of the argument are ignored. Additionally, votes from "undecided" users and "neutral" votes are ignored as well. The highest scoring arguments are then displayed at the top of the debate.

Note that when an argument is initially posted, it automatically receives one "up" vote and one "down" vote (i.e. a score of 50%).

Why didn't the score change when I voted for an argument?

Note that when we compute the score for each argument, we ignore the "up" and "down" votes from "undecided" users and users on the opposite side of the argument. We do this so that users on each side of the debate have full control over the ranking of arguments on their side without interference from the other side.

Is there any reason for users to vote "up" or "down" on arguments for the opposing side?

Even though you can not effect the score (or ranking) of the opposing side's arguments, you can still use your "up" and "down" votes to express your opinion on those arguments. The percentage of "up" votes from the opposing side is displayed on the page where each argument's rebuttals are displayed. The percentage of "up" votes from undecided users is also displayed there. In later versions of this website, we may choose to base some portion of the score on the percentage of "up" votes from the opposing and undecided side.

Aren't you worried that users will switch sides to manipulate the ranking of arguments on the opposing side?

Note that if users switch sides in a debate, then the other side will appear to have more supporters, and thus, may appear to be the stronger side of the debate. We hope this is enough of an incentive for users not to switch sides in a debate, although we intend to monitor our site for obvious signs of manipulation and abuse anyway (e.g. an argument for the "no" side appearing on the "yes" side with a large number of "up" votes). Users can also help monitor debates and report abuse by clicking the "flag abuse" button, and we will take appropriate measures to remedy the situation.