In the era of the global prevalence of the Internet, humanity is faced with an amazing feature. Virtual communication between two adults for some special reason ceased to obey the rules of "good form". A virtual dispute is often conducted, as they say, without any regard for education and tact.
In a face-to-face dispute, some forgotten reflexes from the field of communication culture seem to be triggered, or maybe just fear for their own well-being. This apparently does not apply to numerous forums, comments in blogs precisely because communication is virtual and no one will beat you in the face. Although, it seems, there were cases when a virtual dispute crawled into the real world and moved into the area of criminal law.
A virtual controversy is very difficult to stop. If in a dispute a face-to-face signal for us is the intonation of the interlocutor, his facial expressions and gestures, then in a virtual dispute all this remains behind the scenes, and often completely neutral phrases are perceived by the opponent in a negative way. The "interlocutors" over and over again have to explain what they specifically meant.
But, one way or another, one should still adhere to certain rules of conducting even a virtual dispute, so as not to turn into an ordinary "troll". These rules have been worked out, which is called "sweat and blood" of numerous polemicists throughout the history of mankind. So, here they are:
1. Entering into controversy, try to find out the main subject of the dispute.
2. Define the basic concepts, make sure that each disputant puts the same meaning in the discussed concept. Sometimes it happens that people argue about the same thing, but they call it differently, or they put completely different meanings into the same term.
3. Outline the circle of the main disagreements with the opponent, highlight those points on the merits of which some agreement has already been reached.
4. Do not lose sight of the main subject of the dispute, otherwise the dispute will be conducted for the sake of the dispute.
5. Be clear about your position in the dispute.
6. Don't get personal and don't let others do it. Respect yourself and the person you are talking to.
7. Do not humiliate the interlocutor with distrust of his knowledge, contempt for his opinion.
8. Constantly clarify which disagreements in the dispute were agreed upon, and which were not.
9. Remember that there is no absolutely correct point of view, there are always options.
10. If your opponent does not adhere to these rules of dispute, try to either convey them to him, or politely end the conversation. If a person is not ready to conduct a controversy in a civilized manner, it is very likely that the dispute is with a troll.
