Creating Discussions
Learn how to create effective discussions using our Native System or Pol.is
Choose Your Discussion System
When creating a discussion, you can choose between two powerful systems:
✨ Native System (Recommended)
Best for in-depth deliberation with threaded responses and evidence.
- ✓ Real-time AJAX voting
- ✓ Pro/con threaded responses
- ✓ Evidence linking (citations, files)
- ✓ Consensus visualization
- ✓ Optional AI features
🌐 Pol.is Embed
Best for quick large-scale opinion polling.
- ✓ Proven at scale (100,000+ participants)
- ✓ Simple agree/disagree/pass
- ✓ Instant visualization
- ✓ Multilingual support
Creating a Native Discussion
1. Click "Create Discussion"
- Fill in title and description
- Check "Use Native Statement System"
- Set geographic scope and topics
2. Add Seed Statements (Optional but Recommended)
- Post 3-5 initial statements to start the conversation
- Include diverse viewpoints
- Keep statements concise (10-500 characters)
3. Share & Engage
- Share the discussion link
- Monitor participation
- Run consensus analysis after 7+ users and 50+ votes
Creating a Pol.is Discussion
1. Create on Pol.is
- Sign in or create a Pol.is account
- Configure your discussion settings
- Copy the embed code
2. Add to Society Speaks
- Click "Create Discussion" on Society Speaks
- Leave "Use Native Statement System" unchecked
- Paste your Pol.is embed code
- Learn about seed comments
Discussion Best Practices
Creating an effective discussion requires careful thought and preparation:
- Choose a clear, specific topic
- Write a detailed description that provides context
- Add diverse seed comments to encourage participation
- Consider your target audience when setting geographic scope
- Share your discussion on relevant platforms and communities
Using Pol.is Effectively
Key features of Pol.is:
- Real-time visualization of opinions
- Automated clustering of viewpoints
- Support for multiple languages
- Moderation tools
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