Tarun,
Was the debate following the Oxford or Cambridge format ?
Its format included
-> Participants from both sides making opening statements
-> Picking out counterpoints from those opening statements using an initial argument
-> Each participant addressing those counterpoints
-> Debate Moderator broadening the scope of debate by infusing some unaddressed points to debate on
-> A 35-odd minute FFA debate
-> Closing the debate thread for a short while, announcing the winner, and opening it up as a public debate.
So it sort of doesn't resemble an oral debate format. Besides, those formats are kind of not practical on an online debate (for every participant to 'speak' (make posts), at the right point in time). With the above format, the moderator can allow members to randomly make posts as long as they're pertaining to that phase of the debate.