***READ BEFORE POSTING***: Standard Rules and How-To

[Tomak]

Below is the current version of the standard rule set. As it may change over time (even while you are debating), the version you wish to use should be copied to the first post of your round.

Part One: The Essentials

To improve organization and to help facilitate the movement of information to the wiki, we’re laying out some new ground rules for the forum. Most of these will be relatively simple to follow.

A. All vdebate thread titles should begin with "Round XYZ," with XYZ being the number of the most recently started debate + 1. This was an old practice that was discontinued due to laziness, but we’re reviving it to enhance organization both on the forums and on the wiki. Obviously, discussion threads that are not actual vdebates are exempt.

B. All vdebate thread titles must also include both the resolution (i.e. “Energy” or “Poverty”) as well as the debaters’ usernames and their sides (aff or neg). This should be relatively simple.

An example of an acceptable thread title would be “Round 999 [Energy] - DebateX (Aff) v. DebateY (Neg)”

C. While not required, we would prefer that both sides be agreed upon prior to the debate thread being opened. If you create a thread without first confirming your opponent(s), be sure to edit your thread title to include their username and side before the 1AC begins. You may use the designated signup thread to look for opponents before opening a debate.

D. Unless an extension is requested via PM by a participant and approved by a moderator, a vdebate where 14 days has passed since the last (pre-2AR) speech in the round will be declared dead and the thread locked.

E. Because of the large number of unfinished debates, we will be keeping a list of those debaters who quit abruptly in the middle of rounds. A debater will be added to the “truancy list” when he or she has failed to post a speech within 14 days of the previous speech given in the round without gaining prior approval from a moderator. (This rule will not apply retroactively).

Violators will be listed on the wiki as well as on a stickied thread. The premise is that repeat offenders will find it more difficult to find debates, which should discourage people from quitting.

For the sake of fairness, and in recognizance of the fact that sometimes real life is just a bitch, a debater can avoid being put on the list when a 14-day impasse occurs if he or she does both of the following:

- Presents a valid* excuse in a timely manner in the vdebate thread.
- Obtains the mutual consent of the opposing debater(s) to discontinue the debate


* (By valid excuse we mean something along the lines of “I have two weekends in a row with tournaments I have to prep for” or “I will be at debate camp for the next three weeks.” Excuses such as “I’m bored with this” or “I don’t really care anymore” are not valid and will result in the debater being listed.)


A word of warning: do not let leaving rounds become a frequent occurrence for you - even if you have a valid excuse. Moderators will reserve the discretion to temporarily ban repeat offenders from starting or joining new vdebates.

F. It will be the responsibility of the vdebate thread creator to post relevant information to the wiki at the conclusion of the round.

Exact details will be rolled out at a later date via an announcement - don’t worry about this at the moment.

Part Two: In-Round

OFFICIAL RULES VERSION 1.0

1. Starting the round. Before the round starts, all four debaters must post in this thread, stating that they agree to the rules, stakes and judges, and also stating who will be which speaker. All three judges must post their paradigms. The round starts as soon as the 1AC is posted.
2. Speech order. The order of the speeches is the same as for a typical policy debate round. 1AC, CX, 1NC, CX, 2AC, CX, 2NC, CX, 1NR, 1AR, 2NR, 2AR
3. Speech lengths. Each constructive speech will be no more than [number] words and each rebuttal no more than [number] words. Debaters should determine these figures before the round begins.
4. Cross-examination. Cross-examination begins immediately after a constructive speech is posted and lasts 24 hours. If you are being cross-examineded (ie you just posted a speech), you are expected to check this thread reasonably often and answer questions.
5. Questions asked after cross-ex. You may ask additional questions after cross-ex ends and before your next speech is due. However, your opponents are not required to be online for this, so answers to these questions should be considered a courtesy.
6. Due dates of constructives. We suggest that the 1NC, 2AC, and 2NC be due 24 hours after the end of cross-examination. This means the 1NC is due 48 hours after the 1AC is posted, the 2AC is due 48 hours after the 1NC is posted, and the 2NC is due 48 hours after the 2AC is posted. The absolute deadline for all speeches is 14 days after the prior speech.
7. Due dates of rebuttals. We suggest that:
   (a)The 1NR starts immediately when cross-examination ends after the 2NC. In other words, the 1NR is due exactly 24 hours after the 2NC is posted.
   (b) The 1AR, 2NR, and 2AR are due exactly 24 hours after the previous speech is posted.
   (c) Exception to rule (b): If the 1NR was posted during cross-examination, the 1AR still is not due until 24 hours after cross-ex ends. In other words, if the 1NC was posted during cross-ex, the 1AR is due exactly 48 hours after the 2NC was posted. The absolute deadline is 14 days following the previous speech.
8. Prep time. Prep time is optional - should you determine an exact figure, prep starts the moment your speech is due. If a speech is late, the extra time used will come out of your prep time.
9. Posting a speech early. Debaters may post their speeches early if they choose to do so. Debaters with upcoming speeches are expected to check this thread frequently in order to prevent loss of prep time in the event a speech is posted early.
10. Posting a speech very early If a speech is posted so early that it is still cross-ex, then cross-ex ends immediately and the next relevant time period begins. EXCEPTION: cross-examination of the 2NC continues even if the 1NR posts his/her speech during cross-ex. The affirmative has the right to their entire 24 hours of cross-ex time and 24 hours of speech-writing time.
11. Postponement of speeches. Please refer to the first set of rules for postponements.
12. Judge decisions. Judges are expected to post decisions quickly after the round is over. If a judge expects to be longer than 24 hours, he or she should let the debaters know beforehand.
13. Observers, please be quiet. Until the round is over, only participating debaters and judges may post in this thread. This rule ends after the judges have posted their decisions. After that, the thread is open for free discussion.
14. Please label your post. As a courtesy, debaters should label their posts so everyone knows what speech they are giving.
15. Do your own work. You may only seek assistance from your partner. No help from other debaters is allowed.
16. Changing the rules. Judges may change the rules or make new rules so long as it is unanimous, and the rule change is believed to be fair to all debaters.

OUTLINE OF THE ROUND (These aren't rules. This outline is for your convenience)

• New Thread. A new thread is created for the round. The rules of the round are posted.
• Participants post. The debaters post that they agree to the rules, stakes and judging panel, and say who will take which speaker position. The judges introduce themselves and post their paradigms.
• 1AC - 2000 words max. The round starts as soon as the 1AC is posted.
• CX of 1AC - 24 hours long, starting when the 1AC is posted. The neg may post as many questions as they like, within reason. The aff is expected to check back regularly (again, within reason) to answer them during this 24 hour period.
• 1NC - 2000 words max. The 1NC is due 48 hours after the 1AC is posted, which is 24 hours after CX of the 1AC ends. Additional time is taken out of prep.
• CX of 1NC - 24 hours long, starting when the 1NC is posted. The aff may post as many questions as they like, within reason. The neg is expected to check back regularly, as above.
• 2AC - 2000 words. The 2AC is due 48 hours after the 1NC is posted, which is 24 hours after CX of the 1NC ends.
• CX of 2AC - 24 hours long, starting when the 2AC is posted. Same stuff as above.
• 2NC - 2000 words. The 2NC is due 48 hours after the 2AC is posted. Same stuff as above.
• CX of 2NC - 24 hours long, starting when the 2AC is posted. Same stuff as above.
• 1NR - 1200 words. The 1NR is due 24 hours after the 2NC is posted. NOTE THAT THIS IS IMMEDIATELY AFTER CROSS-EX RATHER THAN 24 HOURS LATER! There is no reason you should need to hear your partner's cross-ex to write your speech. Communicate with your partner so you don't run into time trouble and begin writing your speech as soon as possible.
• 1AR - 1200 words. The 1AR is due 24 hours after the 1NR is posted, unless the 1NR posts during cross-ex of the 2NC. If so, the 1AR is due 24 hours after cross-ex ends.
• 2NR - 1200 words. The 2NR is due 24 hours after the 1AR is posted.
• 2AR - 1200 words. The 2AR is due 24 hours after the 2NR is posted.
• Judges decide. The judges issue their verdicts, RFDs, and comments.
• After-round stuff. The thread is now open for comments by observers. Everyone talks about what a great job the debaters did and how horrible the judges' decisions were.

How To Word Count In OpenOffice

There are other ways, but this is the easiest to follow

1) Have all the words you want to count underlined. This includes tags and cites
2) Find + Replace (Control + f)
3) Click "More Options"
4) Click "Attributes"
5) Check the "Underline" box and press "Ok"
6) Clear the form labeled "Search for" (There should be nothing there)
6) Click "Find All"
7) Click "Close"
8) On the top, choose Tools --> Word Count

[theglobalcowboy]

Another way to do this is to right click on some underlined text and then click select text with similar formatting. If you then run word count, it will only count highlighted words.
You would still have to manually highlight tags and analytics though

[Niloc]

can somebody post how to format a 1AC for a virtual debate using a mac?

[Hong Kong Phooey]

Im not sure if macs have the same thing, but you can use the "select text with similar formatting" tool

[whistle47]

are you guys using wysiwyg editor on the mac? seems like it would work just as well...

also - if you go into find/replace and press option-u, what happens? alt-u?

[solistus]

This is old, but the Mac command for underlining in most text editor is ctrl-u. There is no alt key on a Mac; option is the Mac alt key.

[Brad Bolman]

Originally Posted by solistus

This is old, but the Mac command for underlining in most text editor is ctrl-u. There is no alt key on a Mac; option is the Mac alt key.

Most new-ish Macs go ahead and call the option key the "option/alt" key. Everyone wins!

[VLORD]

I am trying to post a speech but I have Windows 2007, so how do you access the WYSIWYG editor on 07?

[Synergy]

WYSIWYG is part of the cross-x site, and my faq was written with 2007.

[Tomak]

HOW TO TURN ON THE WYSIWYG EDITOR

First, go to your User CP. In the left column, click on "Edit Options."



Now scroll all the way down to the bottom. Under "misc options" you can change your editor box. Change it to "Enhanced Interface."



Save changes. Now when you copy and paste formatted text to a message box on cross-x, it should save the formatting. It is possible that if you have an old operating system or funky browser it won't work. But this should work for most people.

I don't recommend using the WYSIWYG editor for everyday use. It will get on your nerves. Just so ya'know.

[Zak_Black]

How will the WYSIWYG editor get on my nerves?

[Tomak]

You sacrifice versatility and power for that automation.

Of course, it may just be me. I think everyone should throw out MS Office and learn to write in LaTeX.

[Zak_Black]

Originally Posted by Tomak

You sacrifice versatility and power for that automation.

Of course, it may just be me. I think everyone should throw out MS Office and learn to write in LaTeX.

How?

I am not arguing, I really have no idea. I think it's been enabled the whole time I've been on cross-x. It also doesn't work for pasting in underlined and bold text, I have to use Synergy's tricks for that.

[TLF]

what's the custom so far in terms of judging? do i just post in a round thread and be like "i'm judging!" or are jduges invited or what?

[Synergy]

Originally Posted by TLF

what's the custom so far in terms of judging? do i just post in a round thread and be like "i'm judging!" or are jduges invited or what?

debaters will PM you if they want you to judge. you might increase your chances of being asked by editing the Organization Post to be more descriptive

edit: one more tip - you can up your "cred" by putting in the number of online rounds you've already judged. i guess if you want you can also post in the organization thread saying please pick me

[fizelly27]

does anyone know how to put up documents in pdf format or similar formats?

[policy2A1N]

im having trouble doing the word count for a constructive on a mac, can someone tell me how to please?

thanks

[smoth as sandpaper]

Originally Posted by policy2A1N

im having trouble doing the word count for a constructive on a mac, can someone tell me how to please?

thanks

What program are you using?

[policy2A1N]

Originally Posted by smoth as sandpaper

What program are you using?

microsoft word

[Panther_debater]

What I have been doing is creating two Word documents at one time - one for the speech that I will post and one for the word count. I copy and paste all of the underlined parts and parts that I am reading into the word count document as I go along and keep track of my word count that way. Hope this helps.

[policy2A1N]

that does help now im in one more problem when i copy paste things from word to post the posting does not have the underlining i did what was told above but it isnt working. Im using Safari as my browser, and i have tried it on internet explorer and firefox too.

[Poneill]

yo when i do this, it deletes all the spaces between words. Anyone have advice as to how to fix it?

[TheHutt]

Rules have been updated per the announcement - you may view the changes here.