Forum

If you’d like to discuss any of the ideas in this document please join the matchism forum at www.matchism.org/forum.

Note that the matchism philosophy section, although it will sometimes resemble the free-for-all discussions you’ve probably seen on Facebook, Reddit, or the opinion pages of your local paper, has some key differences:

  1. Please spare us any discussion involving the US supreme court’s Roe v. Wade decision on abortion or any interpretation of the Second Amendment guaranteeing your right to own guns. These things are almost completely irrelevant to our discussions here. If you’re sure that a majority of The People have strongly held opinions on an issue, particularly if you can also show that opinion is either fixed or shifting over time, by all means bring on the data. Otherwise, please stick to philosophy and psychology (i.e., your analysis of matchism and replisms) because those are ultimately the only things that will matter when the global votes start happening. We have to assume that people are going to be willing to switch brands if we provide them with a product of better quality even if it does require some minor adjustments in their beliefs and habits.
  2. The emphasis should always be on finding solutions, rather than merely problems. It’s expected that if you see a flaw in someone else’s proposal that you will point it out. But you’re also obligated at that point to propose a solution to that problem.
  3. Everyone’s posts count, and there are no winners or losers until after a global vote is held in The System. Every issue raised on the list will be discussed again, probably many times. If you’re a progressive and feel you’re losing, it may just be that the proposal is ahead of its time. Always keep in mind that we’re designing for t + 10 or t + 20 years and with patience and good arguments your proposal may be approved in time. On the other hand, if you’re a conservative and are sure that others have underestimated the strength of a replism, in general or just for some particular population at some particular time, don’t give up because you may just be seeing something that those others are missing.
  4. RTFM or RTFA (Read the (fine) manual or archives) will always be a fair response although you’re encouraged to cite chapter and verse when you use it. You don’t have to have read everything on matchism.org to participate, but know that failing to do so puts you at a distinct disadvantage in any debate.
  5. If you want to make an argument that you don’t necessarily believe in, or don’t want to be associated with, feel free to preface it with “DA”, for Devil’s Advocate. To be successful matchism needs well-argued dissenting opinions just as much as it needs supporting opinions, so there should be no stigma associated with playing DA.
  6. If you change your mind, making a CP (Changed of Position) post is encouraged, describing why and how the conversion occurred. There is no “party line” in matchism and publicly changing your position should actually be a reputation-enhancing act and should actually boost your value as a proxy for those on the fence about an issue because it shows you have seen the issue from multiple viewpoints.