Wiki-Praxis Institute - User contributions [en]

Wiki-Praxis Institute Discourse Tutorial

2026-08-11T19:19:24Z

Admin:

== Creating a New Topic ==

To allow the debate to be easily divided into two sides, each topic should be a statement that can be reversed or negated by the insertion of the word "not" (or one of its variants). An example is "The Easter Bunny exists," which can be reversed as "The Easter Bunny does not exist." More complex arguments can be made by linking topics together in the arguments (If X, then Y, etc.)

For the glossary, it is a good idea to define key terms to avoid misunderstandings. Terms like "capitalism" and "socialism" do have actual meanings that you can look up, and if they are not correct, moderators will change them. Our advice is to not get too hung up on labels — it's highly unlikely that you'll be given a ballot that gives you a choice between "capitalism" and "socialism" with no other context, so just focus on the actual policy details in the meantime.

When choosing a category, most of the choices should be self-explanatory. Of special note is ‘fact-checking’, which should be used in cases where there is a right answer, but there remains a controversy (for example, when the outcome of an election is disputed). If you would like to suggest more categories, do so in the Member Proposals section.

[[File:WikiPraxisCreateTopic.png|center|800px]]

== Choosing a Side ==

You are perfectly welcome to review the arguments on both sides without committing to one or the other. However, if you wish to contribute to the discussion, you must choose a side, and your decision is irreversible. This is to prevent people from sabotaging the opposing side and creating extra work for moderators. After you click "Choose a Side" and make your selection, you will be able to edit the page.

[[File:WikiPraxisChooseSide.png|center|800px]]

== Adding Arguments ==

Each argument should be a single talking point that supports that side of the topic being discussed. It can be multiple sentences, or a paragraph, but should not be an essay. If the argument being made relies on some other principle that could be argued elsewhere (for example, the Easter Bunny exists because the Earth is flat), you should check if that page exists (and if not, create it), and make a link to the relevant Discourse table.

[[File:WikiPraxisAddArgument.png|center|800px]]

== Making Rebuttals ==

Each argument is allowed one specific rebuttal by the other side. Depending on which side you are on, and whether the arguments on each side already have rebuttals or not, you may see a "Reply" button on some of the arguments. This is for adding a rebuttal to that specific argument.

[[File:WikiPraxisReplyArgument.png|center|800px]]

== Editing Arguments and Rebuttals ==

Rather than allowing rebuttals to rebuttals in an endless back and forth, after the other side has given their rebuttal, the original argument can be edited to incorporate a response to the rebuttal, and then, if necessary, the rebuttal can be updated to reflect the new information, etc., until a perfect pair of arguments exists for that subtopic.

In addition to editing arguments and rebuttals to respond to new information on the other side, you may feel that there is a better way to express the same overall point, compared to what is currently posted. The edit history is saved, so we will know if the original meaning is lost. Use your best judgment.

[[File:WikiPraxisEditArgument.png|center|800px]]

Wiki-Praxis Institute Discourse Tutorial

2026-07-25T17:57:10Z

Admin: /* Creating a New Topic */

== Creating a New Topic ==

To allow the debate to be easily divided into two sides, each topic should be a statement that can be reversed or negated by the insertion of the word "not" (or one of its variants). An example is "The Easter Bunny exists," which can be reversed as "The Easter Bunny does not exist."

For the glossary, it is a good idea to define key terms to avoid misunderstandings. Terms like "capitalism" and "socialism" do have actual meanings that you can look up, and if they are not correct, moderators will change them. Our advice is to not get too hung up on labels — it's highly unlikely that you'll be given a ballot that gives you a choice between "capitalism" and "socialism" with no other context, so just focus on the actual policy details in the meantime.

[[File:WikiPraxisCreateTopic.png|center|800px]]

== Choosing a Side ==

You are perfectly welcome to review the arguments on both sides without committing to one or the other. However, if you wish to contribute to the discussion, you must choose a side, and your decision is irreversible. This is to prevent people from sabotaging the opposing side and creating extra work for moderators. After you click "Choose a Side" and make your selection, you will be able to edit the page.

[[File:WikiPraxisChooseSide.png|center|800px]]

== Adding Arguments ==

Each argument should be a single talking point that supports that side of the topic being discussed. It can be multiple sentences, or a paragraph, but should not be an essay. If the argument being made relies on some other principle that could be argued elsewhere (for example, the Easter Bunny exists because the Earth is flat), you should check if that page exists (and if not, create it), and make a link to the relevant Discourse table.

[[File:WikiPraxisAddArgument.png|center|800px]]

== Making Rebuttals ==

Each argument is allowed one specific rebuttal by the other side. Depending on which side you are on, and whether the arguments on each side already have rebuttals or not, you may see a "Reply" button on some of the arguments. This is for adding a rebuttal to that specific argument.

[[File:WikiPraxisReplyArgument.png|center|800px]]

== Responding to Rebuttals ==

Rather than allowing rebuttals to rebuttals in an endless back and forth, after the other side has given their rebuttal, the original argument can be edited to incorporate a response to the rebuttal, and then, if necessary, the rebuttal can be updated to reflect the new information, etc., until a perfect pair of arguments exists for that subtopic.

[[File:WikiPraxisEditArgument.png|center|800px]]

File:WikiPraxisCreateTopic.png

2026-07-25T17:55:24Z

Admin:

Wiki-Praxis Institute Discourse Tutorial

2026-07-25T17:44:17Z

Admin: Created page with "== Creating a New Topic == To allow the debate to be easily divided into two sides, each topic should be a statement that can be reversed or negated by the insertion of the word "not" (or one of its variants). An example is "The Easter Bunny exists," which can be reversed as "The Easter Bunny does not exist." 800px For the glossary, it is a good idea to define key terms to avoid misunderstandings. Terms like "capitalism" and "..."

== Creating a New Topic ==

To allow the debate to be easily divided into two sides, each topic should be a statement that can be reversed or negated by the insertion of the word "not" (or one of its variants). An example is "The Easter Bunny exists," which can be reversed as "The Easter Bunny does not exist."

[[File:WikiPraxisCreateTopic.png|center|800px]]

For the glossary, it is a good idea to define key terms to avoid misunderstandings. Terms like "capitalism" and "socialism" do have actual meanings that you can look up, and if they are not correct, moderators will change them. Our advice is to not get too hung up on labels — it's highly unlikely that you'll be given a ballot that gives you a choice between "capitalism" and "socialism" with no other context, so just focus on the actual policy details in the meantime.

== Choosing a Side ==

You are perfectly welcome to review the arguments on both sides without committing to one or the other. However, if you wish to contribute to the discussion, you must choose a side, and your decision is irreversible. This is to prevent people from sabotaging the opposing side and creating extra work for moderators. After you click "Choose a Side" and make your selection, you will be able to edit the page.

[[File:WikiPraxisChooseSide.png|center|800px]]

== Adding Arguments ==

Each argument should be a single talking point that supports that side of the topic being discussed. It can be multiple sentences, or a paragraph, but should not be an essay. If the argument being made relies on some other principle that could be argued elsewhere (for example, the Easter Bunny exists because the Earth is flat), you should check if that page exists (and if not, create it), and make a link to the relevant Discourse table.

[[File:WikiPraxisAddArgument.png|center|800px]]

== Making Rebuttals ==

Each argument is allowed one specific rebuttal by the other side. Depending on which side you are on, and whether the arguments on each side already have rebuttals or not, you may see a "Reply" button on some of the arguments. This is for adding a rebuttal to that specific argument.

[[File:WikiPraxisReplyArgument.png|center|800px]]

== Responding to Rebuttals ==

Rather than allowing rebuttals to rebuttals in an endless back and forth, after the other side has given their rebuttal, the original argument can be edited to incorporate a response to the rebuttal, and then, if necessary, the rebuttal can be updated to reflect the new information, etc., until a perfect pair of arguments exists for that subtopic.

[[File:WikiPraxisEditArgument.png|center|800px]]

File:WikiPraxisChooseSide.png

2026-07-25T17:37:31Z

Admin:

File:WikiPraxisReplyArgument.png

2026-07-25T17:31:22Z

Admin:

File:WikiPraxisEditArgument.png

2026-07-25T17:30:59Z

Admin:

File:WikiPraxisAddArgument.png

2026-07-25T17:30:27Z

Admin:

Discourse:Santa Claus is (not) a threat to our national security

2026-07-19T16:59:40Z

Admin: Created for argument: He is magical

== Santa Claus is not a threat to our national security ==

<glossary title="Key terms">
; Santa Claus
: Saint Nicholas, who delivers presents on Christmas Eve to children he deems nice, and coal to those he deems naughty.
</glossary>

== For ==

<premise side="for" label="He does so by invitation, in the form of letters from children." created-at="2026-07-17T19:09:22+00:00" updated-at="2026-07-17T19:09:22+00:00" reply-to-index="0">
He does so by invitation, in the form of letters from children.
</premise>


<premise side="for" label="He brings us gifts." created-at="2026-07-16T00:41:33+00:00" updated-at="2026-07-16T00:41:33+00:00">
He brings us gifts.
</premise>


<premise side="for" label="" spacer="1"></premise>

<premise side="for" label="He is magical" created-at="2026-07-19T16:59:40+00:00" updated-at="2026-07-19T16:59:40+00:00">
He is magical
</premise>


== Against ==



[[Category:Politics (General)]]

<premise side="against" label="He enters our home while we sleep" updated-at="2026-07-16T00:47:22+00:00">
He enters our home while we sleep
</premise>


<premise side="against" label="Santa Claus encourages a surveillance state. For instance, he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awak...">
Santa Claus encourages a surveillance state. For instance, he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awake, he knows if you are bad or good...
</premise>

<premise side="against" label="Santa clause sneaks into the house" created-at="2026-07-16T00:46:47+00:00" updated-at="2026-07-16T00:46:47+00:00">
Santa clause sneaks into the house
</premise>

Discourse:Santa Claus is (not) a threat to our national security

2026-07-16T00:47:22Z

Admin: Edited against argument: He enters our home while we sleep

== Santa Claus is not a threat to our national security ==

<glossary title="Key terms">
; Santa Claus
: Saint Nicholas, who delivers presents on Christmas Eve to children he deems nice, and coal to those he deems naughty.
</glossary>

== For ==

<premise side="for" label="He brings us gifts." created-at="2026-07-16T00:41:33+00:00" updated-at="2026-07-16T00:41:33+00:00">
He brings us gifts.
</premise>


== Against ==



[[Category:Politics (General)]]

<premise side="against" label="He enters our home while we sleep" updated-at="2026-07-16T00:47:22+00:00">
He enters our home while we sleep
</premise>


<premise side="against" label="Santa Claus encourages a surveillance state. For instance, he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awak...">
Santa Claus encourages a surveillance state. For instance, he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awake, he knows if you are bad or good...
</premise>

<premise side="against" label="Santa clause sneaks into the house" created-at="2026-07-16T00:46:47+00:00" updated-at="2026-07-16T00:46:47+00:00">
Santa clause sneaks into the house
</premise>

Discourse:Santa Claus is (not) a threat to our national security

2026-07-16T00:46:47Z

Admin: Created against argument: Santa clause sneaks into the house

== Santa Claus is not a threat to our national security ==

<glossary title="Key terms">
; Santa Claus
: Saint Nicholas, who delivers presents on Christmas Eve to children he deems nice, and coal to those he deems naughty.
</glossary>

== For ==

<premise side="for" label="He brings us gifts." created-at="2026-07-16T00:41:33+00:00" updated-at="2026-07-16T00:41:33+00:00">
He brings us gifts.
</premise>


== Against ==



[[Category:Politics (General)]]

<premise side="against" label="Test argument">
Test argument
</premise>

<premise side="against" label="Santa Claus encourages a surveillance state. For instance, he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awak...">
Santa Claus encourages a surveillance state. For instance, he knows when you are sleeping, he knows when you are awake, he knows if you are bad or good...
</premise>

<premise side="against" label="Santa clause sneaks into the house" created-at="2026-07-16T00:46:47+00:00" updated-at="2026-07-16T00:46:47+00:00">
Santa clause sneaks into the house
</premise>

Discourse:Abortion should (not) be legal

2026-07-12T13:06:13Z

Admin: Moderated discourse topic glossary

== Abortion should be legal ==

<glossary title="Key terms">
; Abortion
: The intentional termination of a pregnancy, typically by a medical professional.
; Legal
: For the purposes of this topic, the state does not interfere with what a doctor deems medically appropriate.
</glossary>

== For ==

== Against ==



[[Category:Public Health]]

About

2026-07-09T12:36:22Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was
established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A
search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was
founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump
launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not
intended as a response to our current political moment, but rather meant to address
longstanding issues in our democracy.

Our mission is to develop ways to use the internet to improve political communication and help
people advocate for themselves in political life. The key to this effort is the launch of our
platform, WikiPraxis, in a beta version this year. If you want to know what we stand for, we are
officially non-partisan, with just a few simple principles to guide us: we believe that elected
officials should represent their voters, that people should understand the issues that affect them,
and that people should be able to advocate for themselves to make things better. The platform
is designed to advance all three of these goals.

Our president, Michael Bermingham, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the
University of Illinois at Springfield in 2012, and spent much of the last decade studying how
people discuss politics on existing social media platforms. The often chaotic nature of these
discussions informed the design of our new platform. A paper laying out the theories behind the
platform can be read [https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/1/1d/WikiPraxisInstitute_Theories_Paper.pdf here].

You can view our bylaws [https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/2/23/WikiPraxisInstitute_Bylaws.pdf here].

Coming Soon

2026-07-09T02:10:20Z

Admin:

Events- Plan an event linked to a hot topic of conversation (or a workflow item, when available).
Turn off the screen and go into the real world to try to make a difference with others who feel the
same way you do- the possibilities are endless! Prior to the launch of the social media tools,
events will be listed publicly, and people can search them by topic and geographically. [image
coming soon]

Workflow- Posts on existing platforms are, more or less, just ‘content’- text, images, videos, etc.
and the platform is basically indifferent to the subject matter. Pages only exist for users and
organizations/groups that create them. Such an approach is ill-suited to political organizing.
Rather than focus on elections and candidates, we have a system to draw attention to everyday
issues like lowering gas prices, making housing more affordable, and reducing the cost of
healthcare. This will be a three-stage workflow, to help users get the most out of the platform.

The first stage is a Goal. These are things that people largely agree on, like lowering
unemployment or reducing inflation. They can generally be measured with data, but more
abstract things like ‘improving freedom of the press’ can also be a goal, because certain
organizations give ratings on freedom of the press on an up or down scale, and if there is room
for improvement, it’s possible to do that. There will also be broader ‘Helper Goals’ that people
can select if they don’t want to get bogged down in all of the details. There are literally
thousands of data points one could choose from, but we could bundle some together (low
unemployment, stable wages/prices) to create ‘Strengthen the Economy’. Others could be
combined to create ‘Stop Climate Change’. Other content throughout the platform could be
tagged as relevant to these goals and would show up as relevant to your interests, if you share
those goals.

The next stage is a Proposal. Anyone can lay out their idea for how to achieve a particular goal,
and have it debated by the community, using similar methods to the current Discourse tool. The
proposal must have some detail for how it will achieve the goal- not some vague promise. You
can schedule Events to try and get your proposal implemented. If your proposal is a piece of
legislation, then the page exists merely to track its progress. However, it is entirely possible to
organize solutions outside of the government- that possibility should not be ignored.

The last stage is a Project. There will be two types: former Proposal posts that have ‘graduated’
and gone on to the implementation stage, and the second category, which will make up the vast
majority of entries: efforts that existed prior to the launch of the platform, and will be catalogued
for evaluation (these will mostly be government programs). Ongoing projects should be
periodically reviewed to see if they are meeting their stated goals. If they are not, they may be
abandoned in favor of other proposals that may better meet the same needs, and this too will be
debated using Discourse-like functions.

[images for all this coming soon]

Existing platforms generally only refer to the subject matter indirectly, based on mentions by
users. We will create pages to allow you to engage with the subject matter directly, and give
you tools to organize the remaining content accordingly.

Social Media Feeds- The existing software is based on MediaWiki, which is not meant to
function as a social media platform. Functions such as having friends/followers and making
posts to go on a news feed will be implemented by adapting a version of the open source
Mastodon platform to suit our needs.

Crowdfunding- Members will have the option to use our platform to make recurring monthly
donations to any non-profit, tax-exempt organization that is registered with the IRS, provided the
organization enrolls in the program and abides by our platform’s code of conduct. This includes
political parties and campaigns, charities, and advocacy groups. You may not be able to make
a big donation to your favorite cause, but a few bucks a month over a long enough time (with
lots of people doing it) could make a big difference. We’ll already be accessing your account to
withdraw the membership fee, so why not take a few extra bucks to support a candidate or
cause you’re passionate about? Non-members will be allowed to make one-time payments
based on saved payment information.

Donate

2026-07-09T01:57:11Z

Admin: Created page with "Unlike for-profit social media platforms, we are a non-profit organization, which means we are not geared towards optimizing ad revenue. This allows us to focus on making conversations more constructive and steering you towards having an impact in your community. In addition to the membership that gives you voting rights, you can make additional donations here. The way we spend funds raised in excess of operating costs will be decided by the board, in consultation with m..."

Unlike for-profit social media platforms, we are a non-profit organization, which means we are
not geared towards optimizing ad revenue. This allows us to focus on making conversations
more constructive and steering you towards having an impact in your community. In addition to
the membership that gives you voting rights, you can make additional donations here. The way
we spend funds raised in excess of operating costs will be decided by the board, in consultation
with members (until the number of members reaches 10,000).

[https://donate.stripe.com/test_dRm3cx2Rb6mT3Rp19ZfMA00 Support our Institution]

Why WikiPraxis

2026-07-09T01:52:41Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
The purpose of this platform is to provide a venue for constructive political dialogue and activism. The first phase involves the Discourse tool, where users collaborate to summarize the arguments of common debate topics, to be used as a reference for the general public. Political discussions on existing social media platforms are often chaotic and lead nowhere. Below we’ve listed a number of problems with existing systems, and how our approach addresses them.

== Problems and Solutions ==

; Problem: Repetitive Discussions
: Users of existing social media platforms repeat the same discussions over and over as they engage with different people.
; Solution
: Create an archive of frequently discussed topics, and have collaboratively edited summaries of talking points available for users to review when needed.

----

; Problem: Defensive Resistance and Partisanship
: Users of existing platforms often encounter resistance from those with an opposing view, who tend to become defensive because of assumed partisanship or other factors.
; Solution
: Shift the persuasion mechanism to an impersonal, impartial summary of talking points which covers both sides of a topic. Because the summary is edited by the community, it has no partisan loyalty. Therefore, those reading it will not feel as if they are losing an argument. This will allow them to approach the topic with an open mind.

----

; Problem: Algorithmic Echo Chambers ("Bubbles")
: Social media algorithms and other factors have sorted people into "bubbles"—echo chambers of positive reinforcement where they only get information and commentary that supports their preexisting views.
; Solution
: Placing both sides of each issue side-by-side will (benevolently) burst all of these bubbles in a neutral environment that is moderated by the people rather than exploited for profit.

----

; Problem: Media Consolidation and Censorship
: Concentration of media ownership has led to the suppression of views outside the mainstream.
; Solution
: By placing opposing views on equal footing, all points of view (except for hate speech) will have a chance to be heard.

----

; Problem: Prevalence of Propaganda
: A steady stream of propaganda has led the public to believe many things that are not true.
; Solution
: Placing these propaganda arguments on equal footing with (properly sourced) arguments debunking them will allow the public to find the truth.

----

; Problem: Extremist Takeovers of Forums
: Online forums are often hijacked by those with extreme views, drowning out more sensible voices.
; Solution
: When the sensible views are placed next to those of the extremists, it will become clear which viewpoint to subscribe to.

<blockquote style="border-top: 1px solid #a2a9b1; padding-top: 0.5em;">In theory, the left and the right can use these tools to work through their differences, with no violence whatsoever.</blockquote>

Coming Soon

2026-07-09T01:46:22Z

Admin: Created page with "Events- Plan an event linked to a hot topic of conversation (or a workflow item, when available). Turn off the screen and go into the real world to try to make a difference with others who feel the same way you do- the possibilities are endless! Prior to the launch of the social media tools, events will be listed publicly, and people can search them by topic and geographically. Workflow- Posts on existing platforms are, more or less, just ‘content’- te..."

Events- Plan an event linked to a hot topic of conversation (or a workflow item, when available).
Turn off the screen and go into the real world to try to make a difference with others who feel the
same way you do- the possibilities are endless! Prior to the launch of the social media tools,
events will be listed publicly, and people can search them by topic and geographically.

Workflow- Posts on existing platforms are, more or less, just ‘content’- text, images, videos, etc.
and the platform is basically indifferent to the subject matter. Pages only exist for users and
organizations/groups that create them. Such an approach is ill-suited to political organizing.
Rather than focus on elections and candidates, we have a system to draw attention to everyday
issues like lowering gas prices, making housing more affordable, and reducing the cost of
healthcare. This will be a three-stage workflow, to help users get the most out of the platform.

The first stage is a Goal. These are things that people largely agree on, like lowering
unemployment or reducing inflation. They can generally be measured with data, but more
abstract things like ‘improving freedom of the press’ can also be a goal, because certain
organizations give ratings on freedom of the press on an up or down scale, and if there is room
for improvement, it’s possible to do that. There will also be broader ‘Helper Goals’ that people
can select if they don’t want to get bogged down in all of the details. There are literally
thousands of data points one could choose from, but we could bundle some together (low
unemployment, stable wages/prices) to create ‘Strengthen the Economy’. Others could be
combined to create ‘Stop Climate Change’. Other content throughout the platform could be
tagged as relevant to these goals and would show up as relevant to your interests, if you share
those goals.

The next stage is a Proposal. Anyone can lay out their idea for how to achieve a particular goal,
and have it debated by the community, using similar methods to the current Discourse tool. The
proposal must have some detail for how it will achieve the goal- not some vague promise. You
can schedule Events to try and get your proposal implemented. If your proposal is a piece of
legislation, then the page exists merely to track its progress. However, it is entirely possible to
organize solutions outside of the government- that possibility should not be ignored.

The last stage is a Project. There will be two types: former Proposal posts that have ‘graduated’
and gone on to the implementation stage, and the second category, which will make up the vast
majority of entries: efforts that existed prior to the launch of the platform, and will be catalogued
for evaluation (these will mostly be government programs). Ongoing projects should be
periodically reviewed to see if they are meeting their stated goals. If they are not, they may be
abandoned in favor of other proposals that may better meet the same needs, and this too will be
debated using Discourse-like functions.

Existing platforms generally only refer to the subject matter indirectly, based on mentions by
users. We will create pages to allow you to engage with the subject matter directly, and give
you tools to organize the remaining content accordingly.

Social Media Feeds- The existing software is based on MediaWiki, which is not meant to
function as a social media platform. Functions such as having friends/followers and making
posts to go on a news feed will be implemented by adapting a version of the open source
Mastodon platform to suit our needs.

Crowdfunding- Members will have the option to use our platform to make recurring monthly
donations to any non-profit, tax-exempt organization that is registered with the IRS, provided the
organization enrolls in the program and abides by our platform’s code of conduct. This includes
political parties and campaigns, charities, and advocacy groups. You may not be able to make
a big donation to your favorite cause, but a few bucks a month over a long enough time (with
lots of people doing it) could make a big difference. We’ll already be accessing your account to
withdraw the membership fee, so why not take a few extra bucks to support a candidate or
cause you’re passionate about? Non-members will be allowed to make one-time payments
based on saved payment information.

About

2026-07-09T01:35:49Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was
established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A
search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was
founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump
launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not
intended as a response to our current political moment, but rather meant to address
longstanding issues in our democracy.

Our mission is to develop ways to use the internet to improve political communication and help
people advocate for themselves in political life. The key to this effort is the launch of our
platform, WikiPraxis, in a beta version this year. If you want to know what we stand for, we are
officially non-partisan, with just a few simple principles to guide us: we believe that elected
officials should represent their voters, that people should understand the issues that affect them,
and that people should be able to advocate for themselves to make things better. The platform
is designed to advance all three of these goals.

Our president, Michael Bermingham, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the
University of Illinois at Springfield in 2012, and spent much of the last decade studying how
people discuss politics on existing social media platforms. The often chaotic nature of these
discussions informed the design of our new platform. A paper laying out the theories behind the
platform can be read [https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/2/23/WikiPraxisInstitute_Bylaws.pdf here].

You can view our bylaws [https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/1/1d/WikiPraxisInstitute_Theories_Paper.pdf here].

About

2026-07-09T01:34:09Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was
established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A
search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was
founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump
launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not
intended as a response to our current political moment, but rather meant to address
longstanding issues in our democracy.

Our mission is to develop ways to use the internet to improve political communication and help
people advocate for themselves in political life. The key to this effort is the launch of our
platform, WikiPraxis, in a beta version this year. If you want to know what we stand for, we are
officially non-partisan, with just a few simple principles to guide us: we believe that elected
officials should represent their voters, that people should understand the issues that affect them,
and that people should be able to advocate for themselves to make things better. The platform
is designed to advance all three of these goals.

Our president, Michael Bermingham, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the
University of Illinois at Springfield in 2012, and spent much of the last decade studying how
people discuss politics on existing social media platforms. The often chaotic nature of these
discussions informed the design of our new platform. A paper laying out the theories behind the
platform can be read [[https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/2/23/WikiPraxisInstitute_Bylaws.pdf| here]].

You can view our bylaws [[https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/1/1d/WikiPraxisInstitute_Theories_Paper.pdf| here]].

About

2026-07-09T01:33:58Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was
established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A
search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was
founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump
launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not
intended as a response to our current political moment, but rather meant to address
longstanding issues in our democracy.

Our mission is to develop ways to use the internet to improve political communication and help
people advocate for themselves in political life. The key to this effort is the launch of our
platform, WikiPraxis, in a beta version this year. If you want to know what we stand for, we are
officially non-partisan, with just a few simple principles to guide us: we believe that elected
officials should represent their voters, that people should understand the issues that affect them,
and that people should be able to advocate for themselves to make things better. The platform
is designed to advance all three of these goals.

Our president, Michael Bermingham, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the
University of Illinois at Springfield in 2012, and spent much of the last decade studying how
people discuss politics on existing social media platforms. The often chaotic nature of these
discussions informed the design of our new platform. A paper laying out the theories behind the
platform can be read [[https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/2/23/WikiPraxisInstitute_Bylaws.pdf| here]].

You can view our bylaws [[https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/1/1d/WikiPraxisInstitute_Theories_Paper.pdf | here]].

About

2026-07-09T01:33:46Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was
established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A
search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was
founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump
launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not
intended as a response to our current political moment, but rather meant to address
longstanding issues in our democracy.

Our mission is to develop ways to use the internet to improve political communication and help
people advocate for themselves in political life. The key to this effort is the launch of our
platform, WikiPraxis, in a beta version this year. If you want to know what we stand for, we are
officially non-partisan, with just a few simple principles to guide us: we believe that elected
officials should represent their voters, that people should understand the issues that affect them,
and that people should be able to advocate for themselves to make things better. The platform
is designed to advance all three of these goals.

Our president, Michael Bermingham, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the
University of Illinois at Springfield in 2012, and spent much of the last decade studying how
people discuss politics on existing social media platforms. The often chaotic nature of these
discussions informed the design of our new platform. A paper laying out the theories behind the
platform can be read [[https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/2/23/WikiPraxisInstitute_Bylaws.pdf| here]].

You can view our bylaws [[https://beta.wikipraxis.org/images/1/1d/WikiPraxisInstitute_Theories_Paper.pdf]].

File:WikiPraxisInstitute Bylaws.pdf

2026-07-09T01:29:17Z

Admin:

File:WikiPraxisInstitute Theories Paper.pdf

2026-07-09T01:28:45Z

Admin:

About

2026-07-09T01:27:57Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was
established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A
search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was
founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump
launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not
intended as a response to our current political moment, but rather meant to address
longstanding issues in our democracy.

Our mission is to develop ways to use the internet to improve political communication and help
people advocate for themselves in political life. The key to this effort is the launch of our
platform, WikiPraxis, in a beta version this year. If you want to know what we stand for, we are
officially non-partisan, with just a few simple principles to guide us: we believe that elected
officials should represent their voters, that people should understand the issues that affect them,
and that people should be able to advocate for themselves to make things better. The platform
is designed to advance all three of these goals.

Our president, Michael Bermingham, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the
University of Illinois at Springfield in 2012, and spent much of the last decade studying how
people discuss politics on existing social media platforms. The often chaotic nature of these
discussions informed the design of our new platform. A paper laying out the theories behind the
platform can be read [[Media:WikiPraxisInstitute_Theories_Paper.pdf| here]].

You can view our bylaws [[Media:WikiPraxisInstitute_Bylaws.pdf.pdf|here]].

About

2026-07-09T01:27:30Z

Admin:

__NOTOC__
The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was
established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A
search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was
founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump
launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not
intended as a response to our current political moment, but rather meant to address
longstanding issues in our democracy.

Our mission is to develop ways to use the internet to improve political communication and help
people advocate for themselves in political life. The key to this effort is the launch of our
platform, WikiPraxis, in a beta version this year. If you want to know what we stand for, we are
officially non-partisan, with just a few simple principles to guide us: we believe that elected
officials should represent their voters, that people should understand the issues that affect them,
and that people should be able to advocate for themselves to make things better. The platform
is designed to advance all three of these goals.

Our president, Michael Bermingham, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the
University of Illinois at Springfield in 2012, and spent much of the last decade studying how
people discuss politics on existing social media platforms. The often chaotic nature of these
discussions informed the design of our new platform. A paper laying out the theories behind the
platform can be read [Media:WikiPraxisInstitute_Theories_Paper.pdf| here].

You can view our bylaws [Media:WikiPraxisInstitute_Bylaws.pdf.pdf|here].

About

2026-07-09T01:23:48Z

Admin: Created page with "__NOTOC__ The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not intend..."

__NOTOC__
The Wiki-Praxis Institute is a non-profit organization based in Springfield, Illinois. It was
established in 2025 as a successor to an earlier non-profit (the Kybernan Foundation). A
search of the Illinois Secretary of State’s records will confirm that this earlier organization was
founded on June 15, 2015. By sheer coincidence, this was one day before Donald Trump
launched his initial presidential campaign. This should demonstrate that our work is not
intended as a response to our current political moment, but rather meant to address
longstanding issues in our democracy.

Our mission is to develop ways to use the internet to improve political communication and help
people advocate for themselves in political life. The key to this effort is the launch of our
platform, WikiPraxis, in a beta version this year. If you want to know what we stand for, we are
officially non-partisan, with just a few simple principles to guide us: we believe that elected
officials should represent their voters, that people should understand the issues that affect them,
and that people should be able to advocate for themselves to make things better. The platform
is designed to advance all three of these goals.

Our president, Michael Bermingham, received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the
University of Illinois at Springfield in 2012, and spent much of the last decade studying how
people discuss politics on existing social media platforms. The often chaotic nature of these
discussions informed the design of our new platform. A paper laying out the theories behind the
platform can be read [[Media:Wiki-Praxis_Institute_Bylaws.pdf | here]].

You can view our bylaws [[Media:Wiki-Praxis_Institute_Bylaws.pdf | here]].

Why WikiPraxis

2026-07-09T01:18:13Z

Admin: /* Problems and Solutions */

__NOTOC__
This platform provides a venue for constructive political dialogue and activism. The first phase involves the '''Discourse tool''', where users collaborate to summarize the arguments of common debate topics, to be used as a reference for the general public.

Political discussions on existing social media platforms are often chaotic and lead nowhere. Below is an overview of the problems with existing systems and how our approach addresses them.

== Problems and Solutions ==

; Problem: Repetitive Discussions
: Users of existing social media platforms repeat the same discussions over and over as they engage with different people.
; Solution
: Create an archive of frequently discussed topics, and have collaboratively edited summaries of talking points available for users to review when needed.

----

; Problem: Defensive Resistance and Partisanship
: Users of existing platforms often encounter resistance from those with an opposing view, who tend to become defensive because of assumed partisanship or other factors.
; Solution
: Shift the persuasion mechanism to an impersonal, impartial summary of talking points which covers both sides of a topic. Because the summary is edited by the community, it has no partisan loyalty. Therefore, those reading it will not feel as if they are losing an argument. This will allow them to approach the topic with an open mind.

----

; Problem: Algorithmic Echo Chambers ("Bubbles")
: Social media algorithms and other factors have sorted people into "bubbles"—echo chambers of positive reinforcement where they only get information and commentary that supports their preexisting views.
; Solution
: Placing both sides of each issue side-by-side will (benevolently) burst all of these bubbles in a neutral environment that is moderated by the people rather than exploited for profit.

----

; Problem: Media Consolidation and Censorship
: Concentration of media ownership has led to the suppression of views outside the mainstream.
; Solution
: By placing opposing views on equal footing, all points of view (except for hate speech) will have a chance to be heard.

----

; Problem: Prevalence of Propaganda
: A steady stream of propaganda has led the public to believe many things that are not true.
; Solution
: Placing these propaganda arguments on equal footing with (properly sourced) arguments debunking them will allow the public to find the truth.

----

; Problem: Extremist Takeovers of Forums
: Online forums are often hijacked by those with extreme views, drowning out more sensible voices.
; Solution
: When the sensible views are placed next to those of the extremists, it will become clear which viewpoint to subscribe to.

<blockquote style="border-top: 1px solid #a2a9b1; padding-top: 0.5em;">In theory, the left and the right can use these tools to work through their differences, with no violence whatsoever.</blockquote>

Why WikiPraxis

2026-07-09T01:17:06Z

Admin: Created page with "__NOTOC__ This platform provides a venue for constructive political dialogue and activism. The first phase involves the '''Discourse tool''', where users collaborate to summarize the arguments of common debate topics, to be used as a reference for the general public. Political discussions on existing social media platforms are often chaotic and lead nowhere. Below is an overview of the problems with existing systems and how our approach addresses them. == Problems and..."

__NOTOC__
This platform provides a venue for constructive political dialogue and activism. The first phase involves the '''Discourse tool''', where users collaborate to summarize the arguments of common debate topics, to be used as a reference for the general public.

Political discussions on existing social media platforms are often chaotic and lead nowhere. Below is an overview of the problems with existing systems and how our approach addresses them.

== Problems and Solutions ==

; Problem: Repetitive Discussions
: Users of existing social media platforms repeat the same discussions over and over as they engage with different people.
; Solution
: Create an archive of frequently discussed topics, and have collaboratively edited summaries of talking points available for users to review when needed.

----

; Problem: Defensive Resistance and Partisanship
: Users of existing platforms often encounter resistance from those with an opposing view, who tend to become defensive because of assumed partisanship or other factors.
; Solution
: Shift the persuasion mechanism to an impersonal, impartial summary of talking points which covers both sides of a topic. Because the summary is edited by the community, it has no partisan loyalty. Therefore, those reading it will not feel as if they are losing an argument. This will allow them to approach the topic with an open mind.

----

; Problem: Algorithmic Echo Chambers ("Bubbles")
: Social media algorithms and other factors have sorted people into "bubbles"—echo chambers of positive reinforcement where they only get information and commentary that supports their preexisting views.
; Solution
: Placing both sides of each issue side-by-side will (benevolently) burst all of these bubbles in a neutral environment that is moderated by the people rather than exploited for profit.

----

; Problem: Media Consolidation and Censorship
: Concentration of media ownership has led to the suppression of views outside the mainstream.
; Solution
: By placing opposing views on equal footing, all points of view (except for hate speech) will have a chance to be heard.

----

; Problem: Prevalence of Propaganda
: A steady stream of propaganda has led the public to believe many things that are not true.
; Solution
: Placing these propaganda arguments on equal footing with (properly sourced) arguments debunking them will allow the public to find the truth.

----

; Problem: Extremist Takeovers of Forums
: Online forums are often hijacked by those with extreme views, drowning out more sensible voices.
; Solution
: When the sensible views are placed next to those of the extremists, it will become clear which viewpoint to subscribe to.

<blockquote>In theory, the left and the right can use these tools to work through their differences, with no violence whatsoever.</blockquote>

Discourse:Music is (not) great

2026-07-08T23:40:48Z

Admin: Created debate topic

== Music is great ==

== For ==

== Against ==



[[Category:Fact-Checking]]

Discourse:Santa Claus is (not) a threat to our national security

2026-07-08T15:33:12Z

Admin: Added against argument: Test argument

== Santa Claus is not a threat to our national security ==

== For ==

== Against ==



[[Category:Politics (General)]]

<premise side="against" label="Test argument">
Test argument
</premise>

Discourse:Santa Claus is (not) a threat to our national security

2026-07-08T15:13:11Z

Admin: Created debate topic

== Santa Claus is not a threat to our national security ==

== For ==

== Against ==



[[Category:Politics (General)]]