Take a stand. In the face of ignorance and bigotry - don't shut-up, Shut-App!
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Take a stand. In the face of ignorance and bigotry - don't shut-up, Shut-App!
About this project
Have you ever felt yourself lost for words or too flustered to react in the face of overwhelming hate, stupidity, misogyny, ignorance or bigotry?
Too often, we reluctantly stay silent in those situations. We're too flustered or exhausted by sheer absurdity, or don't know the facts well enough, or intimidated by the loudmouth idiot, or know what we want to say but can't quite put it together, or always think of the perfect response 10 minutes too late.
The end result is the same - we're frustrated, they get the alleged upper-hand, and sometimes even sway others around.
Whether it's the racist candidate and his supporters, your homophobic uncle at Thanksgiving dinner, misogynistic colleagues at work, or Facebook "friends" denouncing everything from science to feminism to civil rights -
I am sick and tired of racist / sexist / xenophobic / homophobic / fact-repellent / logic-resistant people 'winning' arguments and gaining traction just by dint of being louder, allegedly-tougher, or spewing falsehoods without consequence
That's why I came up with "Shut-App!"
It's time to take a stand. Don't shut-up. Shut-App!
I want to make an app that puts the best answers, most persuasive arguments and most rhetorically-powerful responses to all common asinine arguments on all the hot topics - at the tips of your fingers.
It's a tool that empowers anyone and everyone to take a compelling stand, regardless of access to reading materials or possession of rhetorical savvy.
How does it work? Simple.
1. Pick the Topic
2. Find the senseless argument you're up against
3. Discover the best answers and comebacks.
- Shut-App! will cover everything - All hot topics, all answers to all asinine arguments, with your submissions and suggestions helping us keep up-to-date.
- Shut-App! makes everything accessible on spot - Arguments, facts, answers and comebacks ready to roll, no tedious searches.
- Shut-App! ranges from persuasive and informative arguments to drop-the-mic comebacks - logic? facts? wit? just utter domination and awesomeness? whatever the situation calls for.
- All answers researched, devised and approved by US and world debating champions of different backgrounds, genders and ethnicities - to ensure you get the best from the best.
So with Shut-App you can:
- Clearly articulate your position
- Elegantly persuade those you wish to persuade
- Decisively win the arguments you want to win
- Own the, um, rear-end of those whose rear-end you want to own
- And take a stand against ignorance and bigotry.
A tiny bit about us
I've spent my adult life teaching high school and university students the skills of rhetoric, argumentation, logic and debate, and coaching competitive teams. I've established programs for those who could not have it in their schools, and I've volunteered with youths to empower them to stand up, sound their voice, and make sense at that.
(I'm also a former world universities debating champion)
Collaborating with me is a team of American and international debate champions of different backgrounds, faiths, genders and ethnicities.
The long term goal is to create something deeper and more educational, making this kind of knowledge and understanding accessible to everyone - with deeper roots. But that is a long process, and we have to do something now.
Let's get it done quickly, then we can move on. It's time to start cleaning this mess up.
Risks and challenges
The requested amount is to develop a functioning basic app and make sure anyone knows about it. The challenge will be getting it up and working in time to actually change some minds (or at least unleash our righteous, logical wrath) when it matters most, to develop something beyond the basic, and most importantly - continue to the next stages, beyond Shut-App. The more support we get here, the faster and the better the app we can launch, and the quicker we can start doing something that matters..
Learn about accountability on KickstarterFAQ
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Absolutely. Every answer that makes it onto the app will have gone through both fact-checking and approval by professional debaters, but contributions are welcome and will get due credit. As for topics - any topic that is deemed important by the community of users - will be on the app.
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Answers will first and foremost focus on logic and facts, in a genuine attempt to explain your position and persuade the listener. For cases where the other party absolutely refuses to listen, makes inherently irrational points (racist ones, for example) or is generally just a troll, drop-the-mic comebacks are provided.
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Facts, logic and human decency decide what's right.
* Racism, sexism, discrimination, generalizations of entire populations, etc - do not have any moral legitimacy nor logical/factual validity, and Shut-App will be 100% one-sided against them.
(True, not every argument about race, gender etc. is inherently racist or sexist, and insofar as a valid argument is made, it will receive a valid answer. It's just that in my experience, fact-and-logic based arguments on these matters are relatively rare.)* Arguments about proven or empiric facts do not have two legitimate sides. Climate change is real, vaccines do not cause autism. Shut-App will be one-sided on purely-factual topics.
* On topics that have two morally valid sides, but the facts seem to heavily be in favor of one of them, shut-App will go with the facts. For example, there are plenty of evidence of gun laws reducing gun violence, and so Shut-App will reflect that. If the evidence turn out to be false or new evidence emerge tipping the balance - Shut-App will change course, to go with the facts.
* On topics where there are two legitimate sides and the facts are unclear or can reasonable be interpreted for either side - Shut-App will present both sides as equal.
Most importantly - I will always be listening to feedback, and if a change in policy or an approach to a specific topic is warranted - that's what we'll do.
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Many people do understand the issue, but lack either the rhetorical ability to articulate their thoughts. Others might be exposed to certain arguments for the first time or with fresh eyes, and other still may use this exact opportunity to learn further. I certainly don't condone superficiality, I see this is as one, first step. Certainly not the last.