Hah, xkcd.

Actually, we were just talking about this in Calculus the other day, the teacher thought it had something to do with the lesson... Forgot what that was... I'm pretty sure it was dubbed "The Creepiness Quotient".

But in reality, it's a pretty realistic formula.

1. In bed, at home, it was really early in the morning here.

2. Sleeping.

3. 8, 3rd grade.

4. Confused.

5. The feeling and awkwardness of the conversation at school that day with the teacher.

I had that question, once, too, but once I checked in the (rather outdated) FAQ, I had the answer:

What are reward points?

Rewards points are a fun way to keep track of how well your debates and arguments are doing on CreateDebate, as well as how much you're participating. The more you participate with quality arguments, the more points you receive. So go on and get debating!

What are reward points good for?

We're still thinking about redeeming points for free stuff or special privileges on the site. In the future, when you vote for an argument, your level of points will influence how much those votes are for. If you have any suggestions, let us know!

So, I guess they're useless at this point, except as a status symbol or something.

Yay for the 4-digit club!

Just because two major countries have names referring to their subdivisions doesn't mean all countries, or countries like/near them, have to do the same.

In fact, most countries have major subdivisions, Mexico has states, Ireland has counties, Australia has states and territories, but there's nothing saying that they have to be called by what makes them up.

There are perfectly good reasons why the USA and the UK are called their respective names, "America" alone is technically a very large region with many countries, so the United States of America places the United States within America. The UK is called what it is called because Britain is an island, England is a part of that island, and the entire country encompasses more than just England or Britain alone.

This is a website promoting a movie.

"© 2009 Sony Pictures Digital, Inc.", "Explore the 2012 Movie Experience", and the giant disclaimer, all at the bottom of the page, gave it away for me.

I always look for that kind of stuff, the legal things always ruin good fake websites. :)

I see.

Not a bad plan, but, even if the price is low, people really won't want to pay. However, the rest of the site will still be free, so I can see the upside to this.

I agree it would be nice to have experts. It's not a bad idea, it would just be a big change. Not that I would be opposed to change.

I don't really think that's the feeling the site is supposed to be. Granted, I could be wrong, I don't know what the creators were thinking, but this is what I think.

If that were to happen, which I think we both know is pretty unlikely because of the costs involved with finding and paying experts in areas so diverse as those debated here, then I think it would drive away input from the average user, besides creating debates just to have experts answer and see what the "right" answer is, even if there may not be a right or wrong answer.

It would change the site from one where people can discuss opinions and dig up facts when needed, even if that is happening less and less often these days, to an educational site where people come to read what experts have to say on a subject or ask them a question.

Even less appealing is a debate where someone posts information and then the expert comes in and corrects arguments and tells people they're wrong or their information is wrong, and this is the way it really is.

Now that I've said that, I would also like to say I agree with you on parts of this argument, mainly the two types of debates, and that drawing experts into this site wouldn't be a bad idea at all. It's just that making people pay must be tough. Free things are way more popular than things you have to pay for, but there may be other ways to pay for it.

I'm tired and this argument might ramble on... But I hope you get the idea. It's a mixed response.

I was taught that the island which Wales, England, and Scotland are on is Great Britain (Britain), while the entire country is now called the United Kingdom, which is Britain + Northern Ireland.

So I guess someone from N. Ireland wouldn't be British, but Northern Irish, or some demonym for UK.

America technically includes all of the Americas, which consists of the continents of North America and South America. The United States of America isn't saying that the USA is "America" alone, but is the United States of America, so I guess there could eventually be a United States of Europe or United States of Africa, but by now it would seem a bit unoriginal.

It is confusing that the country is called United States, yet the people are American.

Maybe we could work on that... But really, I doubt it'll change.

I agree. Words alone can't always do me justice.

At least that's what I like to believe...

That's why being the oldest child has its benefits. Sure, you have to do more work and things get blamed on you, but you're always the one dishing out the pain, not being spit on and other things that make childhood a nightmare.

That's how I thought it mostly was, except for some cases, you know, but then came all of the websites where wealthy men can somehow instantly become attractive to women, and TV shows where a woman sits back and lets rich men fight over her, knowing that it really doesn't matter who wins, she's with a rich guy anyway.

It's messed up, to me, that is. I guess I'm really not one to say money can't make someone attractive, in a non-physical way.

Wow, this is a tough choice.

After thinking about it, though, I find that I would rather be forgotten than hated. I couldn't handle being hated by a majority. I think I would waste all my time trying to keep people from hating me.

Also, I thought that even if I was to be forgotten, as many people are, it is possible that the things I do and/or the things I create or inspire can live on into the future in my place.

I can't stand it when people don't like me.

Exactly my thinking when asked this question.

Sometimes I think people just want to sound self-righteous when they take the other side on this one.

Oh! And a button that shows all replies in a debate or on a side of a debate, because going through and expanding them all can get annoying.

I agree on the votes in your debate notification, that is annoying. I don't know if this is or isn't already available, but now that there are CreateDebate communities, I'd like to be notified if one of my debates is added to a community.

Yes! That has happened to me a lot recently. I hate it, it gets my hopes up. :(

Yep, I'm getting all of these. That's good, I guess, but too bad I can't provide some evidence of the notifier problems.

Also, I love how this "debate" got so popular!

Here's my argument, do some stuff to it that would normally be notified to me.

Hobbes. A classic. I've been wanting to read some Calvin & Hobbes for a while now, ever since I read an article that had a reference to Calvinball and a hilarious XKCD reference to the sledding and wagon scenes.

Anyway, yeah, Hobbes is awesome. He's always overshadowed by Calvin, but secretly, I always liked Hobbes more. ;)

I've liked the idea of painting roofs white for a while now, but people just don't take it seriously. It probably wouldn't look great, but still, if the effects are big enough it's worth it.

The King of Queens, and maybe Seinfeld.

King of Queens is a bit late '90's, but it's awesome. Kevin James is hilarious!

And Seinfeld... What can I say about Seinfeld that hasn't already been said?

Good point, that's a side of the argument I overlooked in my post.

It was his job, that's how he made all his money, so why not?

Now that he's died, and everyone knows who he is, which came along with all the other benefits to one's name after he or she died, the products will probably sell much better than they ever would have while he was alive.

It depends on which type of pollution you are talking about.

I'll post on this side and assume you are talking about CO2 emissions, which are more popular these days.

Diesel fuel has a higher energy content and therefore can propel a vehicle farther on the same amount of fuel. In fact, diesel fuel can provide 20% - 30% more miles per gallon than a similar gasoline engine. (Source) (Source) Not to mention diesel engines are easier to maintain and last longer.

Now, the other side to pollution is smog and particulates, and this is where diesel is more polluting than gasoline. Diesel engines exhaust more particulate matter, which can create smog and be harmful to the human respiratory system. (Source)

So there are the facts, and there are pros and cons to each type of fuel. The better fuel simply depends on which type of pollution you want to discuss.

That's kinda what the admins do as of now, except they're busy and need help, i.e. the "Report" button.

Should there be one or a team of people doing this full time? I'm not sure, it depends on how it would be set up.

Would I like to have this power? Of course, who wouldn't. ;)

This gets to me, too. Sometimes, people do it so often that I wonder if I'm the one doing it wrong, but that feeling goes away pretty quickly.

I actually took a quiz online before about "there, they're, their" and it said I got 50%! I looked up the ones I got wrong, and the quiz creators were even wrong about it.

Then you'd better slip in a wish for invulnerability from STD's, too. ;)

Good thing he didn't ask me then, right? ;)

Seriously, if I can wish for anything, for all the world to just go away, to be mega-rich and super famous, to make people live forever or die instantly, then why in hell couldn't I wish for unlimited wishes?!? Stupid rule.

Ah, Carls Jr. I love that place, but it's so far to the nearest one I never go. :(

I really dislike insects of all kinds, but there are two that I can't stand.

1) Spiders. Any size, any type, I hate them all. Sure they help get rid of other bugs, but keep them away from me.

2) Mosquitoes. They aren't as gross to me, just so damn annoying. Where I live, you can't get away from them. Ever. I'd be fine with any way of exterminating every single one, I really could care less about the consequences. There are other bugs to fill in the food chain. Just get rid of them.

Come on guys, really, nobody has said this yet? Unlimited wishes. It's the only option for me, I've got a lot of work to do. But the actual three wishes that I'd list here would be:

1. The ability to slow/speed up time, but I'm still acting in 100% time speed, you know what I mean?

2. Immortality. I know people say "I wouldn't want to live forever, I'd have to watch all my friends and family die and blah blah blah..." Friends and family die anyway, so why not just take literally all the time in the world and see everything the world has to offer? It'd also be really cool if I could selectively choose people who could live forever with me, but I wouldn't want people to know about this power. Imagine the crowd that would form around my house... And the increased overpopulation of the Earth. That would get annoying fast.

3. The power to help people. Whether that would be health, money, moral issues, or whatever, if I could be that person who could just fix problems for people, that would be amazing. Again, I'd have to keep this pretty secret so I can help the people who actually need it, not just everyone annoying me constantly for every little problem they have.

So there are my three, plus an infinite number of others.

Thank god I'm not the only person who dislikes people. Maybe I should take a look at the book, I've heard it's good.

I'm sure it would help the prices go down, and I know what you mean when you talk of the government paying through the nose for everything. It bothers me, too. >:(

As for your last paragraph, that's ridiculous! Obviously the school system in Florida (And I'm sure it's safe to say in most of the country, if not all) is very broken. I' thinking they should do away with the whole system and build another one from ground up.

As for longer school years, I support it. There are masy ways to lengthen the school year that I can imagine, four days on, three days off for the whole year, longer days and preserve summer break, etc. That way, we could learn so much more in a year and go so much deeper into our subjects.

Anyway, good luck with your system. :)

"I have seen too much money wasted in public schools (and private ones as well) to believe that money spent is a good indicator of quality."

Of course money doesn't ensure quality, but it sure helps. At the very least, it can provide schools up-to-date and accurate textbooks and the materials and access to resources that can improve the education system.

"Ever since I got out of college I have wanted to establish a non-profit K-12 school that would have a 45-week school year and a reformed curriculum that would let students graduate with the equivalent of an associate’s degree. But I seriously doubt that there would be a market for such a school because most parents do not care."

I don't think this is true, if the price was reasonable and the difference was made obvious, I think there would be a large market for this kind of school.

I cannot agree more. There is absolutely no reason that in one side of the country students learn one curriculum, and on the other side another, let alone different standards and curriculum for students across town from one another.

A national school system would help ensure that each student is given the same opportunity and that poorer schools can be given money needed to educate the students to the same level as schools in rich areas.

All schools should educate students to the same levels and there should be no way for a student to do less work, try less, and take easier classes while still receiving a diploma that carries as much weight as a hard-working, intelligent student.

Imagine the culture shock at that dinner party! Just explaining everything to Washington and Adams would take all night! ;)

First of all, it's funny to me how you ask him for proof as you list off statements with no sources, not only in this argument, but in a huge chunk of text to the left over there <--.

For a bunch of conservatives just trying to maintain the status quo, there really were some radical changes in government. Without a doubt, the type of government that was set up by the founding fathers of the United States was not only very different from that of Britain at the time, but it is also much more flexible and much weaker with respect to the figurehead. Sure, the President is a powerful person, but nowhere near as powerful as a King.

Well, the sun went behind the mountains a bit after 10pm, but it really didn't get dark enough for fireworks until well after midnight, and we had to let the little kids get their firecrackers and things out of the way first, you know how it is... :)

It was pretty funny, most of the people we celebrated the 4th of July with weren't even American citizens, but they're still pretty grateful of the jobs they can get here and the system in Alaska, especially being able to earn $42/hour and only working half the year. It was eye opening for me, hearing some native Spanish speakers talking to each other. I can only understand small fragments of what they say.

I was pretty tired for the hour and a half ride home, but it was a great day.

(Ugh!!! I wasn't alerted to this!)

We went to the parade downtown first off, which was actually pretty good for here. After that, we hung out at home for a few hours and then headed up to a friend's cabin at Eklutna for a Mexican fiesta and some fireworks, fireworks that didn't start until 1:00 in the morning, but they were pretty cool for a private fireworks show. Fun day!

Ha, it's funny to hear that argument, because for me it's the exact opposite. I can't do anything when it's too hot outside, and I can do pretty well in a t-shirt and jeans in 10 degree weather.

But countries are split up already, usually into areas that are divided by the types of people that live there. I see what you mean, but representing a country isn't the same thing as representing every single human.

Yeah, I dodged the question, but only because that was the only answer anyone could seriously consider.

I would write more, I might in a while, but I'm pressed for time.

But the worst thing is how I wasn't notified of this response!

I don't think WWII is arguable at all, Japan not only attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor and launched an assault on Alaska. You can't say that they didn't want to take at least a part of the United States.

As for interventionalism, I think I agree with you. I'm not for it. I'd like to see what happens if the United States would just worry about itself and not get involved in every little thing that happens. Although it may turn into a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation, but who knows, I'd like to see.

I don't think that first statement is true, really. Usually, when two people on this site disagree, they go back and forth with disagreeing with each other for a few replies, but if you watch the argument, somewhere hidden in the replies there will almost always be a supporting/favoring argument where the two see the point of each other's statements and realize the other person does have a point.

This doesn't always happen, but I think it shows that most people are reasonable and can understand what others have to say. So yes, this site is a good way to get a point across.

We couldn't send one person, we would need to send a group of people. I can't possibly think of one person that would represent everything of the Human race, let alone the whole of Earth.

If we took a person from each continent, at the very least, then we could send some kind of idea of what Humans look like.

If you want to split hairs, and I do, then you can't say that money buys happiness, although you can buy some very awesome things with money. These are the things that cause happiness. Without money, you can still have happiness, it's just much easier to do it with the money to buy things.

Another question would be, why is he wearing a dress? Aren't there plenty of very patriotic suits for men? Is it patriotic to wear a dress? Why didn't anyone tell me?

I would say yes, but join the military first. You could get some great experience that would make you stand out much more than the average applicant for a police officer position, and you could have more time to think out the decision. Military service would help with almost every job, I would suppose, so I think it's a good starting point no matter what.