Posts: are where members ask for & receive help/advice etc. Sometimes that help & advice is in the form of facts - if I ask how long does it take to....? Then I hope I would get some sort of facts (even as a guideline) in the answers I received.
Facts: are where members feel that in a particular forum (pregnancy, abortion, eating disorders, cancer) there are certain facts that might be of interest/help to all who come here seeking help & or information -but facts are rarely simple or one sided. There can be facts for or against using certain treatments for whatever problem/issue, there can be many facts which apply to only some situations in regards to an issue/problem; still facts should be facts.
Facts may be statistical, legal, health, & as with all "facts" there are usually at least 3 or more schools of thought as to which are the right or best or the facts that people need to know in any given situation. They are (or should however still be facts).
Debates: these come when people (human beings from many different backgrounds & experiences etc) come together & attempt to "help" or put their views accross to assist those who post asking a question but who in doing so annoy/anger/insult (intentionally or not!!) others on the forum & a debate begins - a debate which is not relevant to the person who origianlly posted asking for help not a debate. A debate which may or may not refer to facts.
A debate is in my opinion when a the question asked by the original poster is lost in the fray of argument, when facts are not posted to assist the poster to decide what is appropriate for him/her but rather to put forth a viewpoint irrespective of the original question being asked & it is these which have apparently been moved & so they should.
Of course some facts could well have a place in both (so long as all sides are allowed & not judged or placed there to judge) and there may be some allowance for debate in posts again if consideration is what rules.
