Well I would like to start off with my opening statement on the topic quoted in the thread title.

I believe this thread is a gross overuse of a moderators power. By posting, in this public forum, in a thread you have to chance to be banned (not permabanned but sub-forum banned). Why? Because a global mod is having a debate? In all the forums I have been a apart of this is the biggest misuse of a moderator's powers that I have come across.

I understand that even though the website is of public domain, the owner Davideo7 does have to power to do whatever he wishes. If that includes allowing global mods to use their powers as such I can only voice my disagreement of it. I also understand that when having a debate with a fellow user on a forum it can be hard to follow points of view if many people post in the thread. I see that using the threat of being banned from the Debate forum to keep people out until it is over seems like a good idea, but it is against what debating is all about. Example: You are apart of the debating club, 4 on 4 debates but you cannot ever input anything because if you do you will be kicked off the team? I fail to find good reasoning to support this.

Since both septembern & geeogree seem to not want to play nice, I propose this thread be used to judge the merits of each argument put forth and decide which person has better logic and arguments. This will be in keeping with not posting in their thread, which is on a pretty good topic, and thus no one should get banned (unless someone sees this as flaming or something, which would be totally untrue and the only thing I am trying to rouse is that banning someone for posting in a thread on a forum is ridiculous unless it breaks the rules of said forum which I believe it doesn't as the only rule it could come close to breaking in respecting staff which I have laid out sound reasoning).

If/when geeorgree & septembern read this I ask that you please do not go any further as that would be like knowing what the crowd/judges were thinking when you put forth your argument.

Comments on the first two arguments and 1st rebuttal put up.

geeogree is against nuclear arms (I believe I am biased to geeogree's side of the argument so I will probably lean more towards his arguments).
septembern is for nuclear arms (which is the tough side to argue IMO)

geeogree's argument was laid out quite well. A little shallow on the details of each point but if there was a time limit it would have come off better. I agreed with most of what geeogree stated and failed to find much wrong with his arguments.

septembern's rebuttal/arguement
he does have the harder point to argue IMO, but the rebuttals were full of emotional response instead of logic. Using extreme examples and unimaginable what if scenarios. Using absolutes ruined a whole rebuttal as it actually made the statement fallacious.

septembern's arguments
I agreed with a couple of point raised, didn't quite like the extreme examples but understood what was meant from them. Should stay away from the negative connotations associated with the word bomb and stick with weapons or arms.

I agreed with his first, second and fifth point and thought they were quite good arguments to support his side of the debate.

I will like to see more rebuttals and arguments put forth.

[edit] I changed my mind.... I'll leave this open to see what other people think of what you've said here.

Maybe I've missed something, but I don't think I fully understand what the concern is here.

I don't think it's that much of a big deal. Geeo and Sept just want a place to debate without being interrupted. I don't really see that as an "abuse of power".

But I DO see the point of having a thread to discuss what's going on in the other one.

I doubt I'll post further on this thread, though... It doesn't really interest me.

If the two of them want a private debate, they could have just used private messages. It's not that big a deal though.

As for the actual debate, the posts are a bit sparse, but the points are still there. Some of Septembern's made me choke a little...especially the one on nuclear weapons fighting off an alien invasion. And I would be interested in the science behind how a nuke could help terraform Mars.

they gotta forum just to argue, crap I'm in the wrong place I'll be over there. Geogree is too stubborn and septembern just want to take a couple swings at em, it'll be fun.

The thread maker needs to chill out. If the mods want a debate uninterrupted by spamming, I see nothing wrong with that.

I was originally too out the part of my post that if no one responded to this thread that you could send this to the Trash Can as it would be a useless thread.

As I said I can understand why the threat was there to keep people from clogging the thread, I just don't agree with it.

But I think that this thread could help septembern in the long run as after the debate he can look here to see what people thought of his arguments and thus try and better is debating style, since you said he had a debate upcoming.

I think I am too argumentative so I will refrain from posting like the 1st post if I think it may insult someone without fully meaning to.

You have my apologies.

edit: to Hoochman

That is fine if the mods want to debate. Spamming, technically consists of posting something in a thread that is off topic. So if someone were to post something on topic in that thread it would be an addition to the thread not spam. Therefore being banned for adding something to a thread seems kinda weird to me.

I have seen the vizzed community for a little while now and I think if geeogree had just stated that they would like no one to post in the thread until both septembern and he were done with the debate, as sepetmbern is practising for an upcoming debate, the community would have more than willing without the need for the "hand". As Gandhi once showed us words can be enough.

I haven't heard any explosions or seen any shrapnel fly by, did I miss the fight?

Mabus : " Spamming, technically consists of posting something in a thread that is off topic. So if someone were to post something on topic in that thread it would be an addition to the thread not spam. Therefore being banned for adding something to a thread seems kinda weird to me.

I have seen the vizzed community for a little while now and I think if geeogree had just stated that they would like no one to post in the thread until both septembern and he were done with the debate, as sepetmbern is practising for an upcoming debate, the community would have more than willing without the need for the "hand". As Gandhi once showed us words can be enough. "

You'd like to think so.... but I've been around here a LOT longer than you have and I know that people would post in that thread if I hadn't put that warning in there.

I've also let you say your piece so now I'm going to close this.