punditry.ca — uncovering DSU elections

These went out to candidates earlier, but Dal email is so incredibly painfully slow these days that I don’t think any of them have it.  So, here you go.  These are slightly modified to be briefer, so candidates should check the OFFICIAL rules sent via email.  The debate will start at 2pm and will finish at 4pm or when we run out of questions, whichever happens first.

This is a first for Dal, and I couldn’t find any one else whose done it, either.  Please bear with us as we sort things out.

Debate Rules, Guidelines, and Information

• The debate will be conducted through the chat forum at http://punditry.ca/features/online-debate  That page is open to candidates now, and will be open to the public about an hour before the debate begins so we can all come in and find our places, as it were.
• The chat will be “recorded”, and the transcript made available on punditry.ca
• During the debate, the discussion room will be locked down, with only the candidates, the questioner, and myself able to speak. Participants will send the message: “/raisehand” to indicate they would like to speak, and they will be called on in order.
• I (Mike Smit) will act as moderator.
• Candidates and participants will follow the rules, and I will use all technical means to ensure that happens. While we encourage healthy debate and questions from all participants, Participants will be kicked out of the discussion without hesitation if they are interfering with the debate.
• Each candidate WILL have limits placed on how much they can speak. This is to ensure fairness, but also to make sure things move along at reasonable speed. Word limits will be imposed; time limits exist implicitly: you have roughly as much time as it would take to type your word limit at 40 words per minute.
• A candidate can at any time send me a private message challenging the length of another candidate’s response.
• A candidate (or participant) can at any time send me a private message with any procedural questions or objections.  Abuse of the private messaging feature is not acceptable

• Order of debate

1. 1. Opening statements, 150 words
   2. 2 opening questions from moderator
   3. Questions from punditry.ca writers
   4. Questions from audience
   5. Closing Statements

• “Questions” may be in one of two forms:

1.  
   1.  Lightning Round Style (to take advantage of our unique platform):  Question is asked. Candidates respond simultaneously, firing off chat messages as much and as often as they want. They can address their opponents’ responses, or can keep talking. Regular rules of decorum are to be followed. Questioner may also participate. After conversation dies down, or after enough time has elapse, Moderator will call for “final thoughts”, and discussion ends after final messages from candidates.
   2. Forum Style (tried, tested, true): One candidate is invited to speak at a time, like the forums of the past week, and past DSU millenia.  75 word responses (order in which candidates answer will cycle), 35 word rebuttals.  Questioner can follow up, treated as new question.  All questions will be asked to all candidates.

• The questioner will decide which form they would like the candidates to answer using. I will use one of each style in my two opening questions to get people used to it.

• Passion is wonderful.  Douchebaggery isn’t.  Please show respect to the candidates and questioners.  Note that profanity will be censored out: it will appear to you like what you typed, but to everyone else it will be censored.

• This is not a DSU Elections sponsored OR endorsed event.  However, you are also not immune from their rules.