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Originally Posted by filtherton
I agree that the nature of a conversation can be rather fidgety. The utility of a conversation really depends on the intentions and actions of the people participating in it. I think the internet is a much more incendiary medium than face to face conversation when it comes to conflicting ideas. I'm much less prone to treat interactions as competitions when i'm talking to someone face to face.
I think the difference between arguments and discussion and debates are a matter of intent and desire. If the participants are looking to change someone else's mind it's a debate or an argument. If the participants are looking to reach some sort of common ground it's a discussion. Perhaps these definitions are lacking.
In any case, i think debates and discussions and arguments are all necessary and useful given the proper context.
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Oh, without a doubt...the measurement of how things progressed that I use is always "Have I learned anything?" Even in discourse, if something is gained in the way of new insight, it's not a bad thing. Interestingly, though, when visiting forums designed for debate, I've found that several participants only repeat a narrow-minded opinion, never once admitting to understanding a POV of an opposing debater. Those types aren't interested in gaining anything-only in beating others down and so only revealing themselves to be bullies with no intention of learning or even interacting. They use the word 'debate' but have no clue what it entails.