Debates and Programmers

Having just concluded the previous section with a footnote on the dangers of the etymological fallacy, it's time for another "there's a specific meaning to this word" section. While debating is commonly taken to mean two or more people expressing different views on the same topic, debates usually have rules dictating the forms in which arguments are presented and either a way of choosing a "winner" or of reaching a consensus view on the topic.

A specific example of a debating system with rules (which also has the benefit that I'm familiar with it) is the Oxford-style debate. The debate's topic is defined by a motion, in the form "this house moves to [X]." The audience votes on whether they are for or against the motion (or they can abstain). Two speakers, or teams of speakers, then present arguments, one in favor of and one in opposition of the motion. Unlike essay-style arguments, rhetoric and appeal to emotion are...