More about Braver Angels Online Debates

While we try to preserve the spirit of our special parliamentary debate, the online experience is different.

• Some basic knowledge of Zoom meeting controls is helpful.
• The device you use to connect is important. A laptop or desktop will give you the best view, but tablets work well, too. Phones won’t let you see as much, and dialing in will only give you other participants’ audio (you won’t be able to speak  using a  dial-in connection).
• Our whips will communicate with you by chat if you would like to speak or ask a question. Only the chair and people recognized by the chair get to talk (only one person can talk at a time) so chatting with whips is the best way you can let them know about you. You can raise your hand, of course, but chatting is better.

In general, though, the online debates are very much like the live ones. Anyone may speak or ask questions (when recognized by the chair). We alternate pro and con speeches, and adjust their times to allow as many people to be heard as we can. We use this form of parliamentary debate to insure civility and evolution of discourse that increases understanding. It might seem unusual if you have not seen it before, but be assured that we use it because it works!