Structured conversations consist of: Questions, Answers, Pro arguments, Con arguments and Reference nodes.
Each entry, like a "tweet" or microblog entry, is a node. Nodes are collected in tree structures. In an indented outline form, a conversation looks like: […]
Structured conversations are a direct way to engage a group of participants in researching a topic by creating and answering questions, justifying each answer, and supporting or challenging claims.
Structured conversations require care to avoid confusion. A few important rules of good conversation are these:
1- Limit each response to one topic. By offering just one topic, it is then possible to continue the conversation about that topic, and not waste words showing which of several topics is in the conversation.
2- Try to make sure that another response does not say what you want to say (don't duplicate answers). Instead, if you find an answer that you like, and want to say more, add a response (Answer) to that node that amplifies the earlier response.
3- It is frequently a good idea to ask a question rather than start an argument with a Con node. Sometimes, a Con node, e.g. "That's impossible", does not convey any useful information, and risks stopping an otherwise useful conversation branch. A question, instead, can tease out of the idea being challenged, some detail that might actually allow for discovery of unknown ideas.
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A new Conversation can start with an Idea (Answer Node), or a Question.
An idea is a well-posed statement that suggests a topic for conversation. Use the Details section to explain the topic. That topic might invite many different questions.
Starting a conversation with a well-posed question is a typical way to begin. When we say "well-posed", we mean that the Details section is used to explain the nature of the question, background concepts, links to further information, and so forth.
See also Thread Mode vs. Thread Mess and Dissertation Over Discourse