The ethics of versus debating

A serious topic, what are the standards of courtesy in this hobby. Let me start with the issue that made me write this at first.

Can we respond to other people's arguments? I see people attacking my arguments, yet people suggest I don't address other people's arguments, either the ones addressing mine or in general. I see a lot of arguments that I think are absurd and I could argue all day. Is it fine to argue against other peoples' arguments if they are on different sites? I could make lots of blogs just off the DBF Sailor Moon matches and honestly I kind of want too.

Another question, citations? How much are we supposed to cite? I was going under the assumption it was the nice thing to do. But how much of someone's research do you using qualifies as enough to require citation? How much until you SHOULD cite? A feat? 10? Does it matter how many feats a character has and how much research is required?

Should we hold ourselves to a level of civility? Truth be told I don't like incivility, even though I impulsively get defensive. I wish it could be calm and not insulting, I wish we could address the arguments calmly and rationally.

I personally hate the strawmanning that goes in this hobby. I wish we could try and actually use the strongest arguments of our opponents. I get their is an intensity to any debate, but still, this whole atmosphere of everyone disagreeing with you is stupid...it doesn't encourage enjoyment, it doesn't encourage the pursuit of truth...

Truth be told, there are a lot of people I feel like I could be a friend with if they didn't have different opinions on versus debating and now dislike me because of it. This isn't politics, it's versus debating, why is it that I feel like even making a common could cause people to dislike me as a person? Maybe I'm projecting, reading too much into the situation. Maybe I'm just being anxious. If so. I apologize.

I think that if people established a more clear set of etiquette regarding versus debating then things could go so much more smoothly either way. That said even as I say this, I think that perhaps the informality may be what other people like, that I miss how they enjoy it entirely.



More then any other blog, I hope I can get comments on this because I honestly want more then any other subject to hear what other people think.