CreateDebate

CreateDebate is a debating website and forum with social networking features. The site has features utilized for debate and discussion on topics chosen by users. CreateDebate combines aspects of social networking, debating, and voting.
History
CreateDebate was started by CreateDebate, LLC of Arlington, VA. The private beta version of the site was launched on February 28, 2008 and the public beta of CreateDebate was introduced on April 29, 2008.
CreateDebate was founded out of the Robert H. Smith School of Business and won the March 2008 Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship competition.
CreateDebate changed hands in December of 2010. The new owner operates the site from Illinois.
Functionality
The CreateDebate platform runs on a structure that intends to allow users to see what are, in theory, the most convincing arguments within each debate, and which side of a debate has the most popular support.
Users are allowed to create three types of debates around any topic. Other users then post responses, referred to as "arguments". The CreateDebate community then votes the arguments "up" or "down". In theory, over time, the arguments that the community perceives as the most convincing rise to the top of the debate, which distills out the central points and most relevant factors. CreateDebate categorizes debates into various topics including: Politics, Technology, Shopping, Religion, Travel, Science, World, Sports, Business, and Comedy, although users are allowed to create debates about any topic they are interested in. The creator of the debate, referred to as the "Debate Moderator", chooses the title, information, category, and end date of the debate, and has the power to ban users from the debate.
Each user has a user profile, which automatically builds itself over time. There are several relationships, referred to as "Allies", "Enemies", and "Hostiles". Debate and arguments activity is also automatically tracked. A points system rewards users for certain activities on the site. The research feature allows people to pipe RSS content from the web into any debate.
Debate Types
There are currently three types of debates available for creation on the site; the 2-Sided Debate, the Perspective Debate, and the Challenge Debate. The 2-Sided Debate Consists of two different columns, each representing a viewpoint pertinent to the motion. These "sides" are expressed as the debate creator sees fit, but mostly fall into the categories Yes/Agree and No/Disagree, relative to the motion. The default argument tags in a 2-sided debate are identical to the side the user posts their argument on, though new tags can be created at users' discretion. A Perspective style debate allows for more than two viewpoints and includes only one column for all arguments. The Challenge Debate is similar to a 2-Sided Debate, but only 2 users can participate. In the three types of debate, the creator of the debate, referred to as the "Moderator", can choose whether the debate will end at a specific point or continue indefinitely.
Reception
CreateDebate received generally favorable reviews from critics.
Technology and social media blog Mashable praised the website as being a "worthwhile place in which to spend one’s argumentative energies", and called the website an "interesting invention".

Main Menu

See Also

Main Menu