Social Media Policy
Civil. Smart. Focused. Accountable.
1. Our Aspirations
The New RC Soaring Digest aspires to have civil, smart, focused and accountable engagement with its readership community:
a. Civil
This is our single most most important social media aspiration: Sections 2 through 7 of the Social Media Policy are focused on keeping dialogue civil. These sections clearly identify what is and what is not acceptable and the escalating consequences for non-compliance. However, it really can be summed up in one simple statement: while it is perfectly acceptable to disagree, it is unacceptable to be disagreeable in making your point. The best course of action for all participants is to follow the points below so that hopefully no situation ever arises that requires the Enforcement sections to be triggered. If necessary, though, and with the the good of the community as a whole in mind, we will not hesitate to pursue Enforcement as and when we deem it is warranted.
b. Smart
There is virtually an infinite number of places on the internet for sophomoric humour and idle, aimless chit-chat. We simply hope that this community isn’t one of them. Before posting, think about the net effect of what it is you intend to say. If it adds to the discussion in a meaningful way, that’s good. If it either doesn’t add anything or, worse, detracts from the discussion we respectfully ask you to find another place to post these particular thoughts.
The notion of keeping our social media interactions Smart does not mean that newcomers or those with less experience are discouraged from asking any question. These individuals should do so with the confidence they will receive a helpful answer or at the very least a kind pointer as to where the answer to their question can be found. We were all new to this at one stage and we would all do well to think about how we hoped to be treated when we were just starting out.
Note that in most cases our posts in social media will relate to on or more articles which appear in the New RC Soaring Digest. It is strongly recommended you read the article(s) before commenting as it provides important context. Comments where it’s clear this is not the case may be deleted without notice and/or subject to further enforcement as described below.
c. Focused
The core focus the New RC Soaring Digest is, of course, RC soaring and closely related subjects. We ask you keep the conversation focused on this. Similar to the Smart section above, there is an almost unlimited number of places to discuss unrelated subjects many of which quickly devolve into a toxic and in some cases dangerous dialogue. If that is the kind of ‘discussion’ in which you would like to engage, we respectfully ask you find another place to pursue that interest.
d. Accountable
We clearly identify the authors of all material which appears under the auspices of the New RC Soaring Digest. Similarly, all of our posts on all social media platforms are such that the author is also clearly identified. This is so authors are fully accountable for whatever material they post. We simply ask that our readers do the same. If there is something worth saying, it’s worth saying in a way where others know precisely who said it, just as if you were sitting in the same room having that conversation. If you are concerned about that accountability regarding something you are about to post, that’s a good indication that material should not be part of the conversation.
2. Our Pledge
We as members, contributors, and leaders pledge to make participation in our community a harassment-free experience for everyone, regardless of age, body size, visible or invisible disability, ethnicity, sex characteristics, gender identity and expression, level of experience, education, socio-economic status, nationality, personal appearance, race, religion, or sexual identity and orientation.
We pledge to act and interact in ways that contribute to an open, welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and healthy community.
3. Our Standards
Examples of behavior that contributes to a positive environment for our community include:
- Clearly and unambiguously identifying the author of any material in order that the author is fully accountable for what they say
- Respecting the intellectual property rights of others and always providing appropriate attribution
- Demonstrating empathy and kindness toward other people
- Being respectful of differing opinions, viewpoints, and experiences
- Giving and gracefully accepting constructive feedback
- Accepting responsibility and apologizing to those affected by our mistakes, and learning from the experience
- Focusing on what is best not just for us as individuals, but for the overall community
Examples of unacceptable behavior include:
- Use of an alias, handle or false name that disguises the true identity of the author so as to avoid accountability for material posted using that assumed identity
- The use of sexualized language or imagery, and sexual attention or advances of any kind
- Trolling, insulting or derogatory comments, and personal or political attacks
- Public or private harassment
- Publishing others’ private information, such as a physical or email address, without their explicit permission
- Other conduct which could reasonably be considered inappropriate in a community setting
4. Enforcement Responsibilities
Community leaders are responsible for clarifying and enforcing our standards of acceptable behavior and will take appropriate and fair corrective action in response to any behavior that they deem inappropriate, threatening, offensive, or harmful.
Community leaders have the right and responsibility to remove, edit, or reject comments, commits, code, wiki edits, issues, and other contributions that are not aligned to this Social Media Policy, and will communicate reasons for moderation decisions when appropriate.
5. Scope
This Social Media Policy applies within all community spaces, and also applies when an individual is officially representing the community in public spaces. Examples of representing our community include using an official e-mail address, posting via an official social media account, or acting as an appointed representative at an online or offline event.
6. Enforcement
Instances of abusive, harassing, or otherwise unacceptable behavior may be reported to the community leaders responsible for enforcement at NewRCSoaringDigest@gmail.com. All complaints will be reviewed and investigated promptly and fairly.
All community leaders are obligated to respect the privacy and security of the reporter of any incident.
7. Enforcement Guidelines
Community leaders will follow these Community Impact Guidelines in determining the consequences for any action they deem in violation of this Social Media Policy:
a. Correction
Community Impact: Use of inappropriate language or other behavior deemed unprofessional or unwelcome in the community.
Consequence: A private, written warning from community leaders, providing clarity around the nature of the violation and an explanation of why the behavior was inappropriate. A public apology may be requested.
b. Warning
Community Impact: A violation through a single incident or series of actions.
Consequence: A warning with consequences for continued behavior. No interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with those enforcing the Social Media Policy, for a specified period of time. This includes avoiding interactions in community spaces as well as external channels like social media. Violating these terms may lead to a temporary or permanent ban.
c. Temporary Ban
Community Impact: A serious violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior.
Consequence: A temporary ban from any sort of interaction or public communication with the community for a specified period of time. No public or private interaction with the people involved, including unsolicited interaction with those enforcing the Social Media Policy, is allowed during this period.
Violating these terms may lead to a permanent ban.
d. Permanent Ban
Community Impact: Demonstrating a pattern of violation of community standards, including sustained inappropriate behavior, harassment of an individual, or aggression toward or disparagement of classes of individuals.
Consequence: A permanent ban from any sort of public interaction within the community.
This Social Media Policy is licensed with CC BY 4.0 and was adapted from the Contributor Covenant V2.0 and the Mozilla’s Code of Conduct. It is subject to change without notice and it is community members’ responsibility to ensure they are always familiar with the version currently in effect. This policy was most recently updated on December 19th, 2023.
Now, we hope that you will take time to read the current issue of the New RC Soaring Digest.
