Two weeks ago, a collaborative rule-making process was announced here. We expected to get started the next day, but various delays intervened. Now we’re ready.
The concept is simple. Participants will write a site rule together at a cyber-workroom set up especially for that purpose at MixedInk. There is no limit on the number of participants and no required time commitment. Those who choose to be involved in this project will compose drafts, rate them, rewrite them, rate the rewrites and continue the process until a final version is produced in two weeks. That rule will then be added to the site’s FAQ and enforced by community moderation and site administrators.
If this democratic process succeeds, other rules may also be written or rewritten the same way.
Let me repeat what I wrote originally about this. The guiding philosophy at DailyKos since it started has been that the fewer rules the better. That hasn’t changed. It’s true that a handful of new rules have been added recently, and they will soon appear in the FAQ. Moreover, enforcement of some long-standing rules has been stepped up. However, the idea is now and has always been to encourage, not stifle, broad discussion and activism within the progressive, Democratic umbrella. There is no plan to add dozens of new rules. It is hoped that a small number of clearly stated rules – including some reworked old rules to make them clearer and less subjective – will improve the tenor of debate and generate more productive conversation.
As discussed in the launch diary on September 13, MixedInk’s David Stern has generously agreed to work with us in setting up and monitoring this experimental project, which will run for two weeks. Here is a link to the workroom at the MixedInk site. You will have to register there, and it makes sense for you to use the same moniker you use at DailyKos. You can get started as soon as you finish reading here.
The rule? Stalking.
Not criminal stalking, obviously. If a user at DailyKos is stalking another in the real world, that’s a matter for law enforcement. What is at issue for many users, to offer a single example, is when someone relentlessly abuses another user verbally across a broad range of diaries and comments, with or without abusing the hide-rating privilege in the process.
A few guidelines to consider:
• A good rule must include a tight definition. Overly broad, subjective, eye-of-the-beholder rules are impossible to enforce fairly. So, the rule should clearly state specifically what stalking includes.
• Think about possible unintended consequences. Will the rule as proposed cause more trouble than it prevents? Will it lead to flame wars that previously didn’t exist?
• Be succinct.
• Be respectful of other participants. Disagreement is not disrespect, it’s yeast for a good result.
• Don’t worry about penalties for violating the rule. A graduated system of online and off-line warnings, removal of ratings privileges, short-term suspensions, and bannings are already in place.
Here’s a demo video to show you how MixedInk works. Or you can go to the site itself and watch it here.
A final note: Neither this diary nor the MixedInk workroom is the place for discussing whether a particular member has or has not been stalking anyone.