In recent Talking Ethics events, we have had an increase in disruptions. To make it easier to deal with griefing in the future, I wrote up some policies and ground rules for the discussions that I run so that everyone is aware of the expectations. Note that these are specific to the Ethics discussions that I run, and that other facilitators may have their own sets of rules. This notecard was sent to The Ethics Group, but I wanted to post a copy to our forums as well.
Any comments, questions, or discussion?
Sel
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Policies and Ground Rules For Talking Ethics
First of all, thanks for coming for Talking Ethics! The purpose of these seminars is not only to raise and contemplate ethics issues, but also to have a safe forum for discussion and dialogue with others. Hopefully, we can all understand each other's perspectives better as a result.
These are the ground rules for participants at Talking Ethics. I hope that by making these expectations explicit, we can cultivate a safe and fair forum where discussion will thrive.
Be respectful and generous when you're here. Assume that others have something valuable to contribute to the discussion and listen to their perspectives. Regardless of how you feel about the content of what someone is saying, strive to listen and understand the other person's perspective before beating down their viewpoint. If you don't agree with someone's viewpoint, ask them to elaborate on their opinion and then respond thoughtfully. It's acceptable to respectfully ask open questions to clarify, e.g. "Could you elaborate on why you feel x is y?". It's NOT acceptable to browbeat or attack others, twist what they say, insult or make fun of other people for their opinions, e.g. "So you're saying z?! Anyone who thinks z is stupid."
Stay on topic. The general topic for Talking Ethics is ethics. The specific topic will be presented for that day, which could be specific themes relating to ethics, or a specific dilemma that is presented to the group. For instance, one day's topic might address Intentions and Consequences in Ethics. It would be then off-topic to say how silly it is to discuss Ethics in SL, because SL is a game. It would also be off-topic to bring up any other unrelated ethics issue or ask a friend in chat how her weekend went. If what you're saying does not contribute to the topic at hand, please keep it to yourself or to personal IMs with your friends. Please don't spam the chat or advertise other products/services/events while you're here.
It's also not acceptable to put other people down for discussing the issue or to attack the discussion, e.g., "Anyone who's arguing this needs to get a life; this is pointless." If you feel the discussion is pointless, some acceptable options are: remain silent and listen until you have something on-topic to contribute, post suggestions of preferred ethics dilemmas or topics to discuss (see The Ethics Group forums at /309/06/118907/1.html) or leave quietly so that others may continue. If you do decide to leave, please do so discreetly. There is no need to announce publicly why you're leaving; this would be off-topic, disruptive and disrespectful.
Speak and type in English. If you are interested in hosting your own discussions in other languages, that's wonderful. However, I conduct the seminars in English, and it would neither be practical to attempt an ethics chat in several different languages that not everyone can understand, nor would we be able to enforce the ground rules of staying respectful and on topic if we can't understand what's being said. If you have something to say in another language during the event, kindly take it to personal IMs.
Keep it PG. Regardless of the rating type of land we're on, the ethics events are listed as PG events. Please make sure you do not engage in Mature language and behaviour, and make sure you're dressed appropriately for a PG event.
***THE RULES***
1. Respect others.
2. Stick to the topic raised. No ads or spam.
3. English only, please.
4. Respect the discussion. Even if you are not getting anything from it, don't disrupt it for others.
5. PG event. Please watch your language, behaviour, and dress.
Participants are expected to comply with these rules at all times, and those who violate them will be ejected to avoid further disruption to the event. Before ejecting, I will often attempt to remind people of the rules if I'm able to, but if you're ejected, you're welcome to return when you're ready to abide by the rules. If you are deliberately or continuously disrespectful, harassing others, or violating the Second Life Terms of Service or Community Standards, you may be banned. If you're unable to follow these ground rules, this may simply not be the right kind of event for you. To each her own.
Note that post-discussion discussions often take place after the main event, where there's free-flowing informal chat when the rules are relaxed. At that point, it's up to personal discretion; I will still expect everyone to treat each other respectfully, although I won't mind so much about rules like "stay on topic".
Thanks everyone! I appreciate your cooperation and hope to see you at ethics soon!
Selaras Partridge