How to get more from ILP
(lessons from my own mistakes)
As posters on the ILP boards here’s the assumptions I’m going to make:
You want to engage in philosophical debate with other people.
You want to learn some philosophy from other people.
You want to teach your own understanding of philosophy to others.
Given this; my suggestions (in no particular order):
No matter your expertise you have not considered everything. Research the topic you are talking about, even if its just a quick scan of websites about the subject. This will give you some valuable background knowledge and a shared vocabulary with the other people on the forum. Saying that, don’t underestimate the worth of ‘the great dead philosophers’ and proper contemporary philosophy.
If you believe you have a greater understanding about a topic than someone else, then demonstrate it. But, be aware, the only way you will be convincing is with good and well presented argument, ie, by teaching them. If you are simply saying that such-and-such is wrong, or such-and-such is obviously the case without explaining why, you may be fulfilling the desires of your own ego, but you aren’t helping the person in question. Patient instruction will result in better arguments from people in the long run, and a better experience for everyone.
Write in good informal english. This includes some kind of punctuation and paragraphing for ease of reading. You should use an english close to the written standard so that people can read your posts easier, especially if english is not their first language. This does not mean you need an academic (or poetic) style to post, just that your language is clear.
Similarly, your arguments should be reasonably structured. Remember that an unsupported opinion is worth absolutely nothing to someone who doesn’t agree with you, and it means even less to someone who already does. Be prepared to defend everything and anything you type with solid and reasoned counter-argument, and if you don’t want to do this, then simply don’t post.
If your post is less than 2-3 lines long then it probably does not include enough support or reasoning to be a good argument. Ask yourself, ‘why should anyone else believe this?’, ‘what assumptions have I not mentioned?’, etc.
The opposite and less common problem of posts being too long should also be kept in mind, keep arguments focused. If a sentance is not geared towards getting your central point across then you probably don’t need it. If your digressions are so interesting you just cant bear to leave them unexplored, then just start a new thread dedicated to them and get more focused replies.
Your ego is not linked with what you type. In this fancy cyberspace land we are all just avatars of real people and its easy to forget (or sometimes hard to imagine) that these posters are real folk. Don’t treat any attack on your beliefs or arguments as an attack on you personally, and likewise, attack only the beliefs and arguments of others.
Be honest. If you are not sure of why you believe something, then state so. If you are unfamiliar with the direction the topic is going but still want to continue then warn the other posters, and request clarification on certain points when you need it. There is no shame in ignorance, only in unwillingness to learn (and teach).
Don’t post when:
You are angry (that is not to say you should be emotionless, but keep if focused to the argument and ignore the poster themselves).
You have not read and considered all the replies in the topic.
You don’t want your opinions on the subject to be attacked.
These suggestions are not to be rigidly adhered to, and they’re not an attempt to legislate, but should be used as general guidelines for people who already want to debate, so, go get some philosophy done! 
Anymore helpful hints to newbies and vets? Any dispute or correction to the stuff already here?
cheers!
but I’ve clarified the disclaimer a bit anyhow.
, recalcitrant behaviour, annoyance, dismay expressed in regards to a view or opinion, etc. Hey, it happens.
