NEW YORK, March 20, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In order to make informed judgments and resolve social, economic or political problems, people need to debate such matters. But most of us have difficulty finding ways to keep a discussion going until it reaches a recognized resolution. Now individuals can turn to the online debate community Lettuce Debate – Let Us, The People, Debate (http://www.lettucedebate.com) to make their voices heard and explore different aspects of a topic in a setting that makes debating both interesting and fun.
At the community, launched in February, members post topics for debate as well as search, browse and follow other debates on subjects such as politics, world affairs, economics, health, society, law, science and more. To support their arguments, debate participants can post videos, photos, images of charts and graphs, and sources for their research findings.
"What makes Lettuce Debate stand out from other online debate communities is that it's not a traditional online forum," said Gregory Rzeczko, CEO of Soma Studios (http://www.somastudios.net), the interactive web and creative arts studio that created Lettuce Debate. "This site is custom built to specifically support debating. Other online debate communities let you challenge other members, but only on a one-on-one basis. We've created a voting algorithm, so site members can vote in support or against the way you've presented your argument."
Rzeczko employs the vegetable theme in order to bring an element of fun to reduce the potential emotional intensity of debates. "Since this is a debate community for all people, I thought of the phrase 'Let Us Debate,' which made the word 'Lettuce' come to mind," he said. "That led to my deciding to make fruits and vegetables the symbols for functions throughout the site."
Debate participants use vegetable icons that indicate their position, a Lettuce symbol for an affirmative position and a Cabbage icon to signify a contrary perspective. Additionally, a Tomato symbol indicates when members like a debate response while a Sliced Yellow Onion icon expresses disapproval, for example, for a weak or poorly-formed argument. The debate argument that earns more than two-thirds of the "Tomato" votes will win the debate and receive a Carambola (Starfuit) icon.
Additionally, members use a Strawberry icon to signify their liking of a particular debate topic and a Lemon icon if they do not like the topic. Debates with the most Strawberry icons will be listed in the site's "most popular debates" section for added attention.
A Farmer's Notepad function lets users receive updates about members and debates that they are following. Members are also able to share notes with other members via the function.
If a debate gets out of hand, members may flag the offending argument, which can result in the disruptive member's account becoming suspended or terminated. Obscenities, spam or inappropriate content will also be flagged for the Lettuce Debate staff to review.
"There are a lot of debatable issues in the world, and I believe LettuceDebate can give all people a voice and chance to make a change," said Rzeczko. "The goal for our site is to let anyone in the country, and even around the globe, present debate resolutions. For example, global debaters can discuss world issues such as pollution, politics, economics or war and vote for or against debate answers. Our mission is to provide a platform to affect positive change in the world and make LettuceDebate the best site for online debating for whoever's using it."
Contact:
Gregory Rzeczko
Soma Studios
32 Sutton St. 3L
Brooklyn, NY 11222
718-216-3892
This press release was issued through eReleases® Press Release Distribution. For more information, visit http://www.ereleases.com.
SOURCE Soma Studios
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