|
Article Directory
|
+ Authors
+ Articles
|
|
|
|
Response and Rebuttal: Having a Good Argument on a Blog
Copyright (c) 2011-2012 Enzo F. Cesario
According to one theory of knowledge, there are no original facts. All knowing is gained through more knowing, each fact tied to every other fact like a spider web — none supported completely on its own, but all working beautifully in concert. Whether this is ultimately true philosophically, it illustrates a key point of online knowledge: Everything worthwhile refers back to something else.
This is particularly true of the many arguments on the web. The strongest arguments are those that can relate their case to other fields of knowledge and understanding. While there are always those who will buy into constantly debunked arguments, by and large the web is a place where the meritocracy of truth can hold court.
So, how exactly does one harness this for his or her own blog?
First, understand that an argument always produces hard feelings. This is the inherent risk of it; people do not like to be proven wrong. Whether it is cultural or evolutionary in nature, there is an almost gut-level need to be right in an argument. If you have a discussion of this sort, you will run the risk of alienating some audience members.
However, the same effect can gain you a strong readership if handled properly. People admire those who can demonstrate a strong case against consistent criticism. Take the video bloggers Thunderf00t and AronRa on YouTube. Both of these men advocate very specific positions about science, free speech and religion, and the role of these entities in the modern world. Both have come under extensive attack, including outright legal action in some cases, for advocating their views and maintaining the argument about these issues. Yet both have very popular YouTube channels, and both writers have been booked for speaking engagements as a result of their work. Their channels are consistently growing, largely because they are willing to have arguments and back them up with strong evidence.
The first step is to make sure the argument is worth having. Is it genuinely an issue worth arguing over, with significant relevance to the average user? Consider your audience carefully for this one. Arguments about freedom of speech may well touch on everyone's lives in some degree, but if your blog is dedicated to the subtleties of audiophile technologies, it might not be the argument to have.
Once you have made the decision that a point needs to be argued, it is important to match the intensity of your tone to the relevance of the point. If you have a relatively academic disagreement with one portion of another blogger's work, then it would likely not be appropriate to ream the entire piece based on one disagreement, or to focus on the disagreement instead of the areas of concordance.
This should be common sense, but the web seems to create a tendency in people to narrow their focus onto odd elements.
Begin with a post stating the basics of the other party's case, honestly and omitting nothing relevant. Then provide your commentary and rebuttal in specific terms, providing due credit and citations and making sure to link to your opposite number's blog if the argument is occurring between the blogs, or in the comments section if the discussion is to be had there.
Remember also to be gracious in victory and polite in defeat. It may well be that you utterly end their argument. If so, then well done. If they concede the point, accept the concession and move on. People have had their show, things have been learned, and hopefully both of you have benefited. Similarly, if you are clearly shown to be in the wrong, you gain much more credibility by revising your stance and acknowledging the opposing party's points. This is not formal debate, where the idea is to win points — it's to maintain good discussion and draw in the kind of people who take your work seriously.
Tying in with this effect is the user effect. People feel more invested in a blog when they feel their contributions are honored and considered worthwhile. So if a commenter to your blog provides a particular insight on an ongoing discussion or argument you are having with another blogger, bring them in. Highlight insightful commentary from your readers with a post, or incorporate it into one if appropriate to do so. This will encourage more people to bring commentary in, both for and against your point of view. This is a great way to attract the viewers of your opposite number's blog, as they feel their input will not be ignored.
So, in the end, should you go looking for arguments to start? Probably not; enough of them will present themselves to you. This is evident from reading just about any blog on the web. Read enough of them, and you will find something you disagree with. If you feel you can have a reasonable dialog with the writer of another blog, or if you feel their views are so drastically wrong as to require your rebuttal, then by all means do so. Simply do not forget to make it an argument worth having, and one that will educate and entertain your readers.
Follow "The Phantom Writers" on Twitter
(@phantomwriters)
to be notified when new articles are made available.
VOTE ON THIS ARTICLE
Needs Work >>
0 -
1 -
2 -
3 -
4 -
5
<< Excellent Article
Tell our authors what you think about their article.
|
Top-Level Category: Business Online Articles
10 Most Recent Articles Written by Enzo F. Cesario
Leveraging the Social in Social Media
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-21 |
Word Count: 907 |
Page Views: 393
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 1.00
Social media marketing is about the conversation, not the
pitch. Having conversations with people is nice, but the
goal of a brand is ultimately to get people interested in
spending their time or money on the brand, after all. What
does having this conversation accomplish, and just how does
a brand use that conversation to get the critical conversion
from conversation to customers?
Blog Writing - Finding the Right Person
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-21 |
Word Count: 884 |
Page Views: 630
There are a host of articles and sites covering advice on
how to address various topics, but one area that doesn't
get a lot of attention is what "person" to write the blog
in. Each linguistic person has its own strengths and
weaknesses, depending on the message that needs to be
covered. Ultimately, most will simply write in whatever
person is most natural to them, but there is some merit in
taking a bit of time to think about the implications,
advantages and disadvantages of each.
That First Impression: Title Considerations
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-19 |
Word Count: 860 |
Page Views: 355
While it certainly isn't as much work as crafting the body
of a superior article, selecting a title for a piece is
definitely an important element of the entire process of
content creation. Here are some thoughts on crafting a
perfect title.
Dynamic Content: Using Analytics to Write Your Blog
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 873 |
Page Views: 425
The role of web analytics in setting useful metrics for a
site has been discussed in-depth in any number of places,
but this is far from the only useful function that web
analytic practices can offer. As in any field, a little
thinking outside the box can offer extensive rewards to the
creative researcher. Perhaps most usefully, creative
cultivation of web analytics can help conquer blogger's
block and help a good writer come up with some unique angles
for content they thought they had peaked out on.
Social Media Marketing Tools – Putting Your Finger on the Pulse of the Web
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-14 |
Word Count: 856 |
Page Views: 342
Social media marketing is the home of successful brand
promotion, and finding the right mix of tools to take
advantage of it has become the defining issue of the modern
brand. Knowing the focus of each of these tools and the best
way to use them is the key to bringing all this power under
control and using it to help promote a brand to its full
potential.
Trans-tangental: The Value of Off-topic Blogging Posts
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-12 |
Word Count: 863 |
Page Views: 444
Brand-oriented blogs by necessity have to focus on a
particular topic. People are coming to the blog because of
the brand, and they want content related to the brand in
most cases. However, there are many very good reasons to go
into off-topic posting as well. The trick is to balance the
needs of on-topic commentary with the occasional bit of
off-the-wall entertainment that brings some lively
discussion with it.
Press Preferences - Blogging Software Explained
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-08 |
Word Count: 881 |
Page Views: 286
Understanding a few of the more common blog creation
software programs can help any blogger make an informed
choice about their particular needs and get their message
out in the most efficient way. Here are a few of them.
Blog Writing - Ghostwriting Dos and Don'ts
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-06 |
Word Count: 879 |
Page Views: 304
There are still some misconceptions about ghostwriting that
pop up from time to time. To that end, it can be helpful to
clarify the nature of ghostwriting and how it relates to
creating a high-quality blog, particularly through examples
of some of the best and worst practices that can pop up when
employing a ghostwriter.
Beyond Expectations - Getting the Most out of Like and Share
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-02 |
Word Count: 860 |
Page Views: 312
What started as socialization programs only slightly more
complex than the average e-mail client has grown into one of
the newest and most promising marketing niches in the entire
world. Taking advantage of this means familiarizing oneself
with a few surprisingly simple concepts that have unusually
far-reaching implications. In particular, marketers are
finding that the "Like" and "Share" features on Facebook
have become the newest and best tool in the online marketing
arsenal.
Four Types of Blogs and How To Use Them
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-08-31 |
Word Count: 930 |
Page Views: 323
Blogging clearly has arrived and is here to stay, according to
the buzzword-slinging set. It's the “next big thing” or the
“wave of the future” - even a “revolution.” Still, most of the
people commenting on the blogging trend aren't sure exactly what
it is, how it works or even what the different kinds of blogs
are. Here are a handful of blogging types and what sets them
apart from the others.
All of Author's Articles on this site: Enzo F. Cesario Articles
Most Recent "Business Online" Articles
Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Services
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2012-01-02 |
Word Count: 989 |
Page Views: 2754
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.00
Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
need to make is that your products and services will change
over time as your business adapts to the realities of the
marketplace.
Work From Home - Make Money Online With EBay Store
Written by: David Miller |
Distributed: 2011-12-12 |
Word Count: 2105 |
Page Views: 351
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 2.00
Find out how to present your items, as well as other key factors
to profit from your eBay Store.
Bring Your Photography To Life With Stunning Video
Written by: Adam Harding |
Distributed: 2011-12-12 |
Word Count: 684 |
Page Views: 456
I want to let you in on my little secret. It is about how I bring
photographs to life by creating professional video slideshows
that look like they cost hundreds of dollars.
Leveraging the Social in Social Media
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-21 |
Word Count: 907 |
Page Views: 393
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 1.00
Social media marketing is about the conversation, not the
pitch. Having conversations with people is nice, but the
goal of a brand is ultimately to get people interested in
spending their time or money on the brand, after all. What
does having this conversation accomplish, and just how does
a brand use that conversation to get the critical conversion
from conversation to customers?
Blog Writing - Finding the Right Person
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-21 |
Word Count: 884 |
Page Views: 630
There are a host of articles and sites covering advice on
how to address various topics, but one area that doesn't
get a lot of attention is what "person" to write the blog
in. Each linguistic person has its own strengths and
weaknesses, depending on the message that needs to be
covered. Ultimately, most will simply write in whatever
person is most natural to them, but there is some merit in
taking a bit of time to think about the implications,
advantages and disadvantages of each.
That First Impression: Title Considerations
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-19 |
Word Count: 860 |
Page Views: 355
While it certainly isn't as much work as crafting the body
of a superior article, selecting a title for a piece is
definitely an important element of the entire process of
content creation. Here are some thoughts on crafting a
perfect title.
5 Tips For Writing Great Content For Your Blog
Written by: Lee Dobbins |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 987 |
Page Views: 404
If you want people to come back to your blog over and over
again, then you need to provide great web content. This may
seem like an impossible task if you aren’t a natural born
writer. Here are 5 tips that will help even the least
experienced writer create blog content that will entice even
first time visitors to become frequent readers.
Understanding Cloud Computing for SMBs
Written by: Audre Hill |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 449 |
Page Views: 512
| Votes: 2 |
Rating: 5.00
The buzz about cloud migration, or taking your business to the
cloud, is all over the internet. But the geek speak and sales
hype make understanding the cloud difficult for small and
mid-sized business owners. Read this to clear up your cloud
confusion.
Dynamic Content: Using Analytics to Write Your Blog
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-16 |
Word Count: 873 |
Page Views: 425
The role of web analytics in setting useful metrics for a
site has been discussed in-depth in any number of places,
but this is far from the only useful function that web
analytic practices can offer. As in any field, a little
thinking outside the box can offer extensive rewards to the
creative researcher. Perhaps most usefully, creative
cultivation of web analytics can help conquer blogger's
block and help a good writer come up with some unique angles
for content they thought they had peaked out on.
Social Media Marketing Tools – Putting Your Finger on the Pulse of the Web
Written by: Enzo F. Cesario |
Distributed: 2011-09-14 |
Word Count: 856 |
Page Views: 342
Social media marketing is the home of successful brand
promotion, and finding the right mix of tools to take
advantage of it has become the defining issue of the modern
brand. Knowing the focus of each of these tools and the best
way to use them is the key to bringing all this power under
control and using it to help promote a brand to its full
potential.
Most Viewed "Business Online" Articles
Attracting Readers to your Book
Written by: Alastair Hall |
Distributed: 2006-05-18 |
Word Count: 708 |
Page Views: 42520
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.11
One of the common and obvious ways to market a self-published
book is having your own website. The harder part is how to
attract your target audience and then convert the sale.
How To Make Visitors Bookmark Your Site
Written by: Cheryl Miller |
Distributed: 2006-10-10 |
Word Count: 536 |
Page Views: 34815
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 2.38
When visitors bookmark your site it is a sign that you have built
a great website and are pleasing them. Visitors think highly
enough of your site to want to return and possibly tell others
about it. You are not only increasing traffic from your existing
clientele you are encouraging new traffic by means of viral
marketing.
Treat Online 'Guests' With Respect
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-07-27 |
Word Count: 472 |
Page Views: 27199
| Votes: 25 |
Rating: 3.76
Does your website show your customers lack of respect? Review the
following checklist to find out.
How I Got 70,000 Useless Visitors To My Site In One Day! (One Internet Marketer's Analysis of Social Bookmark Traffic)
Written by: Titus Hoskins |
Distributed: 2007-11-06 |
Word Count: 1545 |
Page Views: 23761
| Votes: 8 |
Rating: 2.13
Is social bookmark traffic useless? Is it even worth cultivating
for your site? Can it be used from an online marketing
perspective? Read to discover one Internet Marketer's analysis
of social bookmark/media traffic...
Successful Article Marketers Help Readers Solve Problems
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2008-10-29 |
Word Count: 816 |
Page Views: 18812
| Votes: 23 |
Rating: 3.26
Every week, I have the opportunity to speak with people about the
benefits and challenges of using article marketing to promote an
online business. Article marketing is about getting your sales
message in front of potential customers and to get links to your
website. Many interpret this to mean that an article should
directly promote a website within the article, but that approach
is wrong and will reduce one's success using this methodology.
Tips For Building Your First Website
Written by: Benny Tsabba |
Distributed: 2007-05-30 |
Word Count: 1511 |
Page Views: 14632
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 2.00
New people are coming online everyday. And many of those people
desire to turn their spare time into spare cash. So begins their
journey.
Successful Forum JVs and How To Get Them
Written by: Diana Barnum |
Distributed: 2006-06-15 |
Word Count: 648 |
Page Views: 6635
| Votes: 11 |
Rating: 2.18
The forming of common alliances, also referred to as a joint
venture (JV), happens nearly every day in the business world.
One of the most popular means of linking people up online of so
that they can work together on their projects is via forums,
where people of all levels of business and expertise post in
common threads.
Increasing Productivity In Your Online Business
Written by: Willie Crawford |
Distributed: 2006-06-14 |
Word Count: 1407 |
Page Views: 4327
| Votes: 32 |
Rating: 3.72
Running an online "empire" of approximately 1600 websites and
blogs, selling a variety of products, services and ideas, I
have to be much more productive than the average person in a
"regular job."
Who Else Wants to Know How-To Write an Effective Advertisement?
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2011-08-25 |
Word Count: 1431 |
Page Views: 4296
| Votes: 22 |
Rating: 2.59
Webmasters struggle everyday with the question of how they should
advertise their website. There are so many advertising venues; it
is hard to know which is the right venue or the right combination
of advertising venues.
A Recent Issue Of Playboy Revealed...
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2010-01-19 |
Word Count: 1658 |
Page Views: 4214
| Votes: 1 |
Rating: 4.00
If you have ever spent money trying to use article
marketing, and you failed to generate any measurable success
with your articles, then this article will show you why you
most likely failed to see your articles generate a solid
return-on-investment for your online business...
Highest Ranked "Business Online" Articles
What Kind Of Backlinks Are Best At Helping Your Website In Google?
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2009-11-09 |
Word Count: 439 |
Page Views: 1819
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.80
I was in the Warrior Forum, and someone asked what kinds of
Backlinks are worth pursuing. This is my answer to that
query.
How to Keep Your Article Content Fresh and Interesting
Written by: Craig Ritsema |
Distributed: 2006-08-29 |
Word Count: 699 |
Page Views: 2155
| Votes: 17 |
Rating: 4.18
Webmasters everywhere are constantly on the lookout for fresh and
interesting content for their website. Along with these content
qualities is the requirement that it be unique. Everyone wants
their website to stand out above the others in the search engine
results. So what is the trick for you to keep a steady supply of
this quality content coming your way?
Is Your Business 'Out Of Site'? Employ The Ultimate Marketing Tool
Written by: Rick Sloboda |
Distributed: 2007-01-09 |
Word Count: 445 |
Page Views: 2200
| Votes: 19 |
Rating: 4.16
With the rapid expansion of the digital economy, the web site is
conceivably the most powerful marketing and sales tool you can employ.
Find out what a web site can do for you.
How To Use Your Race To Get Rich
Written by: Herbert Harris |
Distributed: 2009-07-07 |
Word Count: 1407 |
Page Views: 2572
| Votes: 40 |
Rating: 4.05
Amid recent news reports that there continues to be an ongoing
and substantial gap between the net worth of Whites and other
racial groups, it is easy to be distracted and overwhelmed by the
raw data. However, I am immediately reminded of a quote offered
by an economic expert from the past... "There are lies, damned
lies, and statistics!"
Secrets of Domain Parking - An Innovative and Easier Way to Make Money
Written by: John Khu |
Distributed: 2009-02-27 |
Word Count: 484 |
Page Views: 1392
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 4.00
Using a good domain parking services to monetize expired domain
names seems to be a neglected aspect with a number of domain
names traders. Domain parking is also an unfamiliar concept to
many inexperienced domain name traders. Read this article to
better understand domain parking and how it can be of benefit to
you.
Expired Domain Gains - Simple Ideas to Create an Income Base
Written by: John Khu |
Distributed: 2009-07-31 |
Word Count: 549 |
Page Views: 3231
| Votes: 14 |
Rating: 4.00
You can use a number of simple methods and plans to create a
solid income base that earns a monthly ongoing income base.
For many expired domain entrepreneurs (both full-time and
part time), expired domains offer an opportunity to
supplement their current income with money earned out of
dealing with expired domains.
Sell Yourself, Not Your Products or Services
Written by: Bill Platt |
Distributed: 2012-01-02 |
Word Count: 989 |
Page Views: 2754
| Votes: 5 |
Rating: 4.00
Sell yourself, not your products or services. The point we
need to make is that your products and services will change
over time as your business adapts to the realities of the
marketplace.
The Most Important Ingredient for Info Product Success (is You)
Written by: Judy Murdoch |
Distributed: 2008-04-15 |
Word Count: 981 |
Page Views: 1428
| Votes: 13 |
Rating: 3.92
Last week I was attending a conference and mentioned to someone I
help small business owners create information products. The other
person was very friendly until I said "information products."
Then the temperature in the room dropped about 10-degrees
How To Build A Website That Will Rank Well In The Search Engines?
Written by: Fred Schebesta |
Distributed: 2007-04-23 |
Word Count: 1064 |
Page Views: 2129
| Votes: 9 |
Rating: 3.89
Redeveloping your website can be a real challenge when you assume
your web designers and developers understand search engine
marketing. Unfortunately this is not usually the case. Most
designers are great at making pretty pictures and developers are
great at making great technology. But pretty pictures and great
technology don't necessarily give you great search engine
results.
How to Prosper Beyond Virtual Real Estate
Written by: Kamau Austin |
Distributed: 2006-10-17 |
Word Count: 1263 |
Page Views: 1593
| Votes: 7 |
Rating: 3.86
We explore virtual real estate (VRE) sites as sites primarily
embedded with Google Adsense(tm) or Yahoo Publisher's Network (YPN)
ads.
|
|
|
Article Reprint Rights
|
This work is
licensed under a
Creative Commons
License
You are not required to show the creative commons license notice when you reprint this work.
|
|
Article Statistics
|
Word Count: 863
Total Views: 401
Views This Month: 23
Views Last Month: 23
Article Rating: Not Yet
Votes Cast: 0
Author Overall Stats:
Times Viewed Overall: 66176
Author Rating: 2.52 of 5
Votes Cast Overall: 164
More Articles By Author:
Articles On This Website
Article Title Search:
Widow Search
Right Blinker
Google
Yahoo!
Zuula
Bing
Cuil
Last Distribution Date:
2011-07-25 10:30:00
|
|
|
Home
for Writers
for Publishers
Article Directory
Article Search
Contact
Get RSS Feed
