This guide is directly based on the one written by the Yesterweb - I think its a great guide and thank them for it! However please be aware it may differ in tone from other MelonLand documents. This is not a set of rules, but a set of guidelines to have the best interaction possible with others!

These are a list of guidelines for 'etiquette' or behavior. If you think these sound reasonable, it wouldn't hurt to follow them in other spaces online as well. We should strive for unity, not division.

To engage in “good faith” means to assume that others have sincere, honest and respectful intentions.

Bad faith discussions are approached with:

• Personal attacks
• Assumptions about bad intent
• Misrepresenting others' ideas

Good faith discussions are approached with:

• Honesty and openness
• An effort to understand others' thought process (where they are coming from)
• Mindfulness of potential misunderstandings that may arise
• Assumption that others are not deliberately trying to be harmful

It's important to note: When dealing with sensitive issues that go against the dominant worldview (e.g., “commonly accepted ideas”), others will likely not have all of the knowledge they need to come to a complete understanding of the issue. We should not attack seemingly-well-intentioned people for this, and instead work toward coming to a mutual understanding when possible.

Even when bad faith is evident, do not attack others or lose your cool. If help is needed, reach out to the mod team.

Conflict is necessary for growth. It can be uncomfortable, but it also fuels change. There is constructive and destructive conflict. We can only engage in constructive conflict when all parties engage in good-faith discussions.

Destructive conflict looks like:

• An effort to win at any cost
• Treating questions or criticisms as personal attacks
• Mocking or ridiculing others
• Ignoring, dismissing, mocking or ridiculing others' ideas

Constructive conflict looks like:

• People interested in coming to a mutual understanding
• Listening closely to others' viewpoints
• Openness to reconsidering your own perspective

Reconsidering your perspective doesn't necessarily mean reconsidering your position. Perpsective is how you view something, and perspective is always clearest when we analyze all parts of a situation.

What is the difference between a debate and a dialogue?

• A debate is oppositional: two or more sides oppose each other and attempt to prove each other wrong.
• A dialogue is collaborative: two or more sides work together toward common understanding.

If it becomes apparent that constructive conflict is not possible, the best thing to do is to disengage.

• All of our spaces are shared with other people.
• We should not speak over, interrupt or interject a conversation with unreasonably off-topic comments
• We should not make our own voices louder than others, being careful not to take up more than our own share of space.