Understanding the Argument Life Cycle

Before you can create an Argument Diagram, it is necessary to understand the Argument life cycle:

1. An Argument Moderator creates an Argument Diagram and releases it to the Pending Arguments queue for public viewing. The Molderator is subsequently referred to as the Administrator for that Argument.
2. Site Members comment and vote on the readiness of the Argument to enter public discussion
3. When the Argument is voted through it enters public discussion as an Active Argument
4. The user community then adds additional Assertions, or comments on the existing Assertions
5. This cycle continues until the Argument space is exhausted

Together, steps one through three constitute the Pending Argument phase, while steps four and five constitute the Active Argument phase.

It is important to note that the Pending Arguments system does not in any way serve to censor Arguments that users or administrators don't like. Rather, its purpose is twofold:

1. It gives the Argument Administrator the opportunity to create the Argument - in private - before everybody else jumps all over it
2. Once released for viewing, other users are able to coach the Argument Administrator on the Argument's structural fitness