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Google Launches User-Driven Debate Site

Posted by Soulskill on from the arguing-on-the-internet dept.

Tyndmyr writes "In conjunction with the previously covered Knol system, Google has recently released Knol Debates, where users can vote for and discuss various topics. First up, presidential debates, representing topics from any party, and with some commentary being given by the libertarian Cato Institute. Unfortunately, patent law and technology questions are still rather poorly represented. Oddly enough, Knol Debates doesn't even appear to be in beta. The system makes use of Google Moderator to select questions."

8 of 68 comments (clear)

  1. Here we go again by David+Gerard · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In further news, Google would rather Knol didn't suffer the ignominious fate of Google Answers. Not everything Google does is a hit.

    --
    http://rocknerd.co.uk
  2. Just What I Need by igotmybfg · · Score: 5, Funny

    Another way to argue with strangers over the internet...

    1. Re:Just What I Need by Kugrian · · Score: 4, Funny

      You don't need it. You're wrong.

    2. Re:Just What I Need by digitalaudiorock · · Score: 5, Funny

      You're confusing it with Google's soon to be released Trol Debates ©

    3. Re:Just What I Need by Darkness404 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Or you know, Google just is like most of us and are tired of people just voting for a candidate based on the hype machine which is the media. Tired of people only going to vote for Obama because he is black and not Bush and tired of people voting for McCain because hes white and not Bush. Tired of the fact that most of the people who vote have no clue what the issues are, tired that the fate of entire industries are being determined with this election with no clue on what either candidate supports (for example, neither McCain nor Obama claim to support or deny software patents that are killing the US computer industry).

      Sure, Google might be profiling you, but I think it is mostly that they are sick and tired of people voting with no clue who they are voting for.

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    4. Re:Just What I Need by Tubal-Cain · · Score: 5, Funny

      Parents are always wrong. Until you become one.

  3. Look... by Darkness404 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    This is only going to fuel the fire of stupidity in the USA. Just read their slogan

    Knol Debates: Listening to opinions, debating the facts

    That isn't exactly how a debate should be run. It should be listening to facts and debating about opinions unfortunately, there lacks a good source to get facts, and even the presidential debates are more or less set up to keep us more in the dark.

    Ideally, there should be a debate where individual citizens can stand up without pre-screened questions and ask the candidates anything pertaining to the election, but today with the news nothing more than glorified hype, that isn't going to happen.

    --
    Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
  4. Re:To what end? by erikina · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Please tell me that it's not just wikimedia and a domain. I hate to say it, but the wiki format isn't good for everything. (Like wiki talk pages or personal pages) And while I'm ranting, I hate wiki-markup -- it's completely retarded in comparison to HTML.