In order to convey a message it needs to be clear and succinct. It reflects on the speaker/writer that a person who conveys a point clearly and concisely means that his mind, actions and thoughts are clear, precise and logical. A captain of on ocean liner, who declares: "Oh, I have no idea where we are headed, and we don't have a course in which to go", will certainly not command any respect - neither his sailors, who have been paid to follow his orders, nor the passengers who paid to travel to their destination. You are the captain of your thoughts and the presentation of them conveys everything about which you stand for.
1. The best manner in which to clarify one's argument and thought process is to number each item. Make sure that the items numbered are in order of importance, or are in a sequence that reflects progression either in time, or logic.
2. Clarity and clarification means thinking about what you're saying. This means putting pen to paper (or keyboard to blog), and to re-read what one has written - eliminating spelling and grammatical mistakes - and to ensure that it will be read correctly and understood.
3. Accuracy means researching the material conveyed. This means that what ever statement is made, it should be thoroughly investigated for accuracy. Outdated, outmoded, or incorrect material is irrelevant to current discussions: it simply is a breeding ground for inaccuracy and miscommunication.
4. Make sure what is written or said makes sense, can be understood and is supported with quality, relevant and up-to-date sources. The best statements are said briefly, with single citations, from sources that everyone agrees to.
5. Presenting a position can only help if its unclear what is meant. Once stated, it behooves the person to clarify and support his position. Often people present positions based on material that only reflects one side of the debate, with sources that are out-dated, from a level of interpretation that is polemical (i.e. biased and favors a particular view). Wouldn't it be more constructive to imagine the other side, and from their position, argue why it is inconsistent, using their sources?
6. Translations are a serious challenge to debate. Consider using the original sources, rather than fueling the fire with inaccurate translations. Cite the original text or link to the actual text.
