A Respectful Place
Below are are guidelines to help keep this a kind and friendly place for respectful public discourse.
Peruse First
One way to improve the discussion is by discovering ones already happening. Spend time browsing the topics here before replying or starting your own, and you’ll have a better chance of meeting others who share your interests.
The topics discussed here matter to us, and we want you to act as if they matter to you, too. Be respectful of the topics and the people discussing them, even if you disagree with some of what is being said.
Disagree Courteously
Divergent perspectives are welcome. Do remember to criticize ideas, not people. Please avoid, name-calling, personal attacks, and reactive contradiction. Instead, provide thoughtful insights that improve the conversation.
Mindful Use of Space
It’s important that every voice be honored that wishes to be. Taking up a lot of verbal space has a way of communicating that only one’s own opinion really matters. Leave space for others to come in.
No Conspiracy Theories
This is not a forum for spreading conspiracies, including anything to do with unsolicited health or wellness advice. You might not think of them as conspiracies, but nothing to do with flat earth “theories,” anti-vaccination propaganda, stolen elections, or climate misinformation is permitted here.
The same goes for sexist, racist, ableist, or homophobic comments. Our space is for respecting and appreciating differences.
If you see a problem, flag it and notify the staff.
Keeping Things Organized
Make the effort to put things in the right place, so that we can spend more time discussing and less cleaning up. So:
- Don’t start a topic in the wrong category; please read the category definitions.
- Don’t cross-post the same thing in multiple topics.
- Don’t post no-content replies.
- Don’t divert a topic by changing it midstream.
- Don’t sign your posts — every post has your profile information attached to it.
Rather than posting “+1” or “Agreed”, use the Like button. Rather than taking an existing topic in a radically different direction, use Reply as a Linked Topic.
Post Only What Is Yours
You may not post anything digital that belongs to someone else without permission. You may not post descriptions of, links to, or methods for stealing someone’s intellectual property (software, video, audio, images, AI, etc.).
Get Questions Answered
This site is operated by your friendly moderator team and you, the community. If you have any further questions about how things should work here, open a new topic in Site Feedback and let’s discuss! If there’s a critical or urgent issue that can’t be handled by a meta topic or flag, contact the moderators.
Thanks for helping make this a community in which people feel safety, belonging, and hope.