A different kind of knowledge through debates

By Dorai ThodlaInformation and Intelligence

Does the internet favor dictators or dissenters? Issue1 #86735

We have mapped this YouTube debate as a first step in a long term project to build a comprehensive map of the impact of the web and related technologies on the open society. It serves as a discussion starter – a seeding debate – that allows a quick canvass of the some of the main issues.

via debategraph.org

It is a fascinating combination of debategraph and deep linking of YouTube video. This is just the beginning of a wonderful world of debates and story telling combined.

Here is a scenario I would like to play in your mind.

Let us collect a set of videos on a specific topic. Let us create a debategraph that deep links various videos. Let people pitch in and add their arguments. We will be building an amazing knowledge base that combines some of the best resources (free) on the internet.

7 thoughts on “A different kind of knowledge through debates”

    1. How about creating jobs in USA, as a topic for debate? I think there is some illusion that lots of lost jobs are some how coming back. There may be many arguments – bring back manufacturing, prevent leakage through regulation, develop skills etc. I would love to know what individuals can do to help? Understanding is the first step. Where can we collect good ideas and act on them? After all it is not just the government’s job alone.

        1. I will try to find some. Administration’s statements may be a starting point (official position). News media may be next. But there may be some gems by various economists and other experts. It will be good to start listing various sources of information (I had written a blog about web information sources). It is kind of dated and more specific to company information but I may be able to rethink and publish it http://dorai.wordpress.com/2007/12/12/web-information-sources/ . Now there are new sources like data.gov. Should we take into consideration world bank and other bodies too?

          I wonder whether we should add weights to sources (for example an economist or some one teaching economics or an economy expert having more weight) than a common man like me who has no clues on economics but have opinions.

  2. Thanks, Dorai: all good suggestions – and I have converted your web information sources map into a debategraph here: Web Information Sources.

    Currently, we add weights to ideas rather than sources (as the quality of an idea isn’t necessarily determined by the quality of its source); although you can also identify and weigh different sources by adding them to the debate map using the “Protagonist” idea type.

    1. David,
      Here are some resources you can add. I will create a Google alert and forward them to you (or you can do it yourself).

      http://www.ehow.com/how_4877603_create-jobs-america.html
      http://www.quora.com/How-can-we-create-jobs-for-the-middle-class-in-America?q=how+can+you+create+jobs+in+
      http://www.quora.com/Do-tax-cuts-for-the-wealthy-create-more-jobs?q=how+can+america+create+more+jobs+in+
      http://bit.ly/hJ1sRM

      You can follow the quora thread and update it. At some point in time we need to automate the process a bit and curate it.

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