Dialectica - A Platform for Structured Debates

Dialectica is a real-time web application that facilitates structured debates and discussions. It provides a platform for users to engage in meaningful conversations with moderated debate formats.

Features

• User Authentication: Secure registration and login system
• Admin Dashboard: Comprehensive admin controls including user management
• Debate Rooms: Real-time debate environments with moderator controls
• User Profiles: Customizable user profiles with statistics
• Real-time Communication: Powered by Socket.io for instant messaging
• Responsive Design: Works on desktop and mobile devices

Tech Stack

• Backend: Node.js with Express.js
• Database: MongoDB
• Frontend: HTML, CSS, JavaScript with Bootstrap
• Real-time Communication: Socket.io
• Authentication: JWT (JSON Web Tokens)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/yourusername/dialectica.git
   cd dialectica
   

2. Install dependencies

   npm install
   

3. Create a .env file in the root directory with the following variables:

   JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
   MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_connection_string
   PORT=5000
   

4. Start the application

   npm start
   

5. For development with auto-restart:

   npm run dev
   

Deployment

This application can be deployed on various platforms:

Render: Free tier with automatic deployments from GitHub

For the database, MongoDB Atlas provides a free tier that works well with this application.

License

Boost Software License - Version 1.0 - August 17th, 2003