A question or a proposition?
When does your topic become a conversation, and when a debate?
On Debaty you can start two things, and the difference comes down to a single field.
A conversation: you ask a question
You have a question and you are curious what others think. There is no side to pick; people simply reply.
- "How do we keep rural public transport running?"
- "What actually helps against loneliness in your neighbourhood?"
This is what you get if you fill in nothing extra. So you do not need an opinion to start something.
A debate: you put up a proposition
You have a statement people can agree or disagree with, and you want to see how that splits. Replies take a side — for, against or nuanced — and you see the balance.
- "The city centre should be car-free."
- "Nuclear power belongs in the energy mix."
A good proposition is testable: a case can be made both for and against. A question is not, and that is not a flaw — it is a different conversation.
Not sure?
Start with the question. You can always add a proposition later; everything already written stays where it is, and the link keeps working. The other way round works too, as long as nobody has picked a side yet.
More about the step itself: Starting a debate and Propositions and stances.