Introducing DebateDocs

One of my goals at the moment is to be placed on email chains without having to ask to be put on them. Unfortunately, this desire alone has not been enough to result in a flood of email chains. I appreciate the folks who are sharing threads with me (and all the folks who put me on threads when I had to ask). This project is designed to lower the transaction costs of project #GetLincolnAlltheDocs (thanks to the handful of people who suggested it).
 
There is now a google group called [email protected]. The purpose of this email is to make it easier to setup email threads before debates. Instead of the same group of people asking the same group of debaters for threads and having to type in double digit emails you can now capture all that with one email entry. This model has proven successful at round robins.

Another benefit of a system like this is how it helps smaller schools. With smaller staffs it is harder to go around to a bunch of debates and get on the threads. Big schools with multiple coaches will get on the threads anyway. Or they will just contact me since everyone assumes I have all that shit anyway (which isn't wrong). 
 
One casualty with the round robin experience has been updating the wiki. That might not be unique to the google group way of organizing round robin docs (people just generally focus on the round robin and post stuff later if they do instead of the normal post round you see at tournaments where judges give decisions at the time). I am hoping to avoid this problem with the implementation of this google group.
 
How to Join?
 
1. Email me the emails you want me to add to the group.
 
2. There are two conditions for me adding those emails to the group:
 
A. If you are a debater you have to participate by adding [email protected] to your future email threads. If you are a coach, you have to ensure your debaters use the group.
 
B. You use the wiki. Use the wiki means there is an entry after each one of your debates and you have included evidence from ALL your speeches in those entries (not just the 1AC or 1NC). It does not matter if it is  full text or cites either is fine.
 
Debaters who want to join are only responsible for their own wiki, not teammates. Coaches are responsible for all their teams.
 
Why am I being a wiki fascist? One, sorry you hate using the wiki or making your teams use it. But good wiki practice is more important than streamlining email threads. Two, the first mover advantage here is huge. Are you going to go start your own google group? Then we have like six different google groups instead of entering like ten different emails? You won't. You're scared. Just use the wiki, use this google group and like it.




 
How to Subject Email Threads
 
There is no great way to ensure this, but it is STRONGLY encouraged to use a uniform naming system for later searches.
 
Tournament Name-Round Number-AFF Team vs NEG Team
 
Example: Shirley-Round 2-Northwestern CE vs Georgetown KL
 
How do I turn off getting real-time copies of everything?
 
Go to your own google groups page - there should be a drop-down menu regarding email options on the right. You can set it to "no email" or "digest email". No means none. Digest means you get them all at the end of the day.
 
I've turned off the emails, but now how do I get to the docs?
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/debatedocs
 
Advice
Change the email settings + create email filters to help prevent inbox flooding if you do not like that. 

​Feel free to reach out with any questions.