Purpose

As a volunteer, democratically run, socialist organization we are dedicated to building a majority movement that will make democratic socialism a reality in America for the working class. We are committed to creating a safe, respectful and inclusive space for our members and comrades in both our online and in person interactions. We expect everyone who joins our chat server to abide by the following community standards.  

“Better things are in store for us. The world ever moves onward. Get into the fray. Do your part, and you will soon see the results of your efforts. Don’t expect all Socialists to be either perfect human beings or to think exactly as you do. Learn to overlook the shortcomings of your comrades. Remember we are fighting for a better system, not to make all men uniform or perfect. Filled with a conviction of right, resolved with a determination to win, nothing can stop the onward march of this movement for a higher civilization until final victory is achieved.”

Daniel Hoan, “The Failure Of Regulation”

1. Community Agreement

By joining our chat server, you agree to follow these community standards and to respect the decisions of the moderators, Harassment and Grievance Officers (HGOs), and admins. Anyone who violates these standards may be warned, muted, kicked or banned from the chat server at the discretion of the moderators, HGOs, and admins. The moderators, HGOs, and admins reserve the right to update or modify these standards at any time with prior notice.

Thank you for being part of our community and for making it a better place for everyone.

2. Community Guidelines

The following guidelines are strongly recommended best practices for community discussion. Many of these guidelines are modified from DSA Guidelines for Respectful Discussion. Repeated failure to abide by the guidelines may result in moderation actions. (see Policy: Internal Communication and Moderation section IV.)  

1. Assume good faith in your fellow comrades

Assume good faith in each other. Please try to speak from experience, speak for yourself, and actively listen to each other. When someone makes a point, repeat what you heard, summarize, and ask clarifying questions like “did you mean X” or “what makes you say that” to get more information. Encourage yourself and others to maintain a positive attitude, honor the work of others, avoid defensiveness, be open to legitimate critique and challenge oppressive behaviors in ways that help people grow. We want to “call each other in” rather than calling each other out — in other words, if you are challenging someone’s ideas or behavior, do it respectfully, and if you are being challenged, receive it respectfully. Remember, mistakes will be made, nobody is perfect.

2. Please ask yourself “Why am I talking?”

While the internet is infinite, we all have limited capacity/time for discussion and engagement. When in discussion, please ask yourself “What am I adding to the conversation?” Consider whether or not what you want to say has already been said, whether what you want to say is on topic or if there’s a better time and place to say it, and other methods for showing how you feel about the conversation (eg. ‘liking’ or reacting to other’s posts)

3. Please recognize and respect others feelings, background, and cultural differences

Many people have different levels of experience, knowledge, and feelings in social justice and radical activism and all participants should respect and embrace this diversity. Many people from different backgrounds have different definitions of what it means to be an “activist” or “radical.” While we all don’t have to agree on everything, we should respect our diversity of opinions. Recognize that everyone has a piece of the truth, everybody can learn, and everybody has the ability to teach and share something. Please, refrain from using acronyms or complicated language that could exclude others, and be ready to explain your meaning in good faith if your comrades are confused.

4. Be respectful of diversity and difference. 

Celebrate the diversity of our members and comrades and the richness of their cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Do not make any assumptions or judgments based on stereotypes or prejudices.

5. Be constructive and supportive. 

Share your ideas, feedback and resources in a positive and helpful manner. Respect the purpose and goals of each channel and topic.

6. Be responsible and accountable. 

For sensitive discussions, please take them offline or to an encrypted platform

7. Be mindful of how you present yourself online. 

It is important to organize to communicate online with members and beyond, know that it is different to interacting through voice or person to person, and some nuances may get lost in the digital space.

8. Be open and willing to learn. 

Recognize that we are all here to build a better world for everyone. Do not assume that you know everything or that you are always right. Listen to different perspectives and experiences and be open to feedback and criticism.

9. Please be mindful of what time you are sending messages into the chat server. Depending on urgency, try not to send messages to members between the hours of 10pm-6am
10. Please keep your screen name consistent with the name you introduce yourself with in meetings. It does not have to be your legal name, it can be a nickname.
11. Have a sense of humor

Who said movement building can’t be fun?  This is a great opportunity for people to get to know one another, building lasting friendships and relationships, to laugh, love, and build a movement.

12. Report any violations or concerns to the moderators, HGOs, or admins.
13. Community Standards

The following standards are required for anyone participating in online discussion in Milwaukee DSA forums. Any failure to abide by these standards will result in moderation actions (see Policy: Internal Communication and Moderation section IV.)  

1. Do not insult, harass, bully, threaten or discriminate against anyone based on their identity, beliefs, class, opinions or experiences.
2. Do not spam, troll, derail or disrupt the conversations. 
3. Do not share any confidential, personal or sensitive information without permission, (including names and contact information) 
4. Do not make posts showing nudity, or other “not safe for work” content. 
5. Do not engage in any other  illegal, unethical, or harmful activities on the chapter server. 
6. Do not make any comments/posts which could reasonably be interpreted as encouraging or threatening violence
7. Report any violations or concerns to the moderators, HGOs, or admins.
8. Do not argue about moderation decisions outside of direct messages. Moderation actions can be appealed to the HGOs. See Procedure: Moderation Appeal.