Hi all,
With regards to our recent integration into the Fediverse, it has become evident that specific rules should be outlined regarding our conduct towards it and our place in it. As such, we are making provisional amendments to the Code of Conduct in specific regard to federation as we find our footing and stake our ground as a part of the wider Fediverse ecosystem. The amendments are as such, demarcated within the dividers:
Federation
In regards to the Fediverse, a dual-pronged approach should be assumed:
Local Communities
Conduct remains as previously outlined [in the Hexbear Code of Conduct], except:
- Users visiting Hexbear should be given breathing room to inquire in good-faith about topics that seem obvious to well-trodden leftists. Assume good faith in even the most obvious of questions, except in cases where a user is explicitly acting in a combative or unreasonable manner.
- Do not ping users from other federated instances with intent to goad or mock.
- Do not directly link to comments or posts of other federated instances on public posts with intent to goad or mock.
- Disengagement rules, whilst not amended, are thoroughly emphasized regarding visiting users.
Federated Instances
Assume the conduct outlined regarding local communities, as well as:
- When in a federated instance, their rules (and their code of conduct) apply.
- Allow instances their own space for discussion, if requested implicitly or explicitly. If said discussion regards this site or its users, you are allowed to discuss said discussion within the local purview (meaning, within a Hexbear community), with regards to the rules laid out prior.
- Conduct that is deemed untenably toxic to the Fediverse and Hexbear’s standing within it (by discretion of Hexbear moderation) may be subject to reprisal, regardless of whether it is explicitly outlined.
We're thankful to the moderation and admins of the instances federated with us for their patience as we carve out our own little hole within the Fediverse. And to our beautiful posters, thank you for bearing with us in this week where decades happen 
relevant excerpt I just came across in Huey's Revolutionary Suicide
It's tough reading that and then this back-to-back.
I think we need both the carrot and the stick. Not everyone is going to respond to civility, just like not everyone is going to respond to ridicule. Both casts a wider net and offers different ways of framing the same ideas, which usually helps clarify things.
That said, I think we want to lead with civility more often (or at least tone down the dunking to mere teasing at first). We should similarly be quick to deescalate if we tease/dunk on someone and they have a sincere reaction. Of course, if they go gloves off, so should we.
ON THE CORRECT HANDLING OF CONTRADICTIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE
Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art" (May 1942), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 92
I think both of these analyses can coexist. In fact, I think they are more powerful together than they are individually. Bevins is dead on, it is absolutely excruciating to see the liberals make the same mistakes they've made every single time in the past. Knowing we are careening towards yet another anti-communist genocide and seeing how it has gone down in the past time and time again should galvanize the notion that our tactics must be better than any that have come before us. We absolutely have to lean on all available and relevant knowledge in the hopes of tipping just enough liberals to our side unlike all the times in the past. Because of the importance of this task, we can't deny ourselves any material advantage, and if meeting ignorant curiosity with patience and open arms gives us an advantage, we absolutely must take it. I believe that this strategy provides the greatest material advantage.
We also need to be careful to identify when this patience is advantageous and when it is a waste of energy, as well as being able to differentiate ignorant curiosity from malice or stubborn reaction. It's hard. However, you can always open friendly and start the dunks as things deteriorate, but you can never switch back to friendly once you've already begun dunking.
Keep in mind I didn't post The Jakarta Method excerpt to say, "We will bully who we want.", it's more that our introduction into the Fediverse has led to an exceptional case of heightening the contradictions among the Fediverse. There are absolutely people who are for the first time questioning why the Third World is so against the US, who are seeing our purity of hate for nazis and asking why the Cultural Hegemony (whether or not they know what that is) keeps making exceptions for them in rhe name of "civility". Some people can't be reached and they deserve to be bullied, but I've also seen some great questions being asked in good faith and Hexbears happily answering them with that same energy. Instances may defederate from us, but there are some people on those instances who are only going to radicalize further as a result. The fire has been lit.
He's right, but also Hexbear largely exists as a refuge from dealing with the hegemonic liberal hellworld we're all stuck in. Being asked to play by Liberal rules in the only place in my entire life that's free from a constant cascade of Liberalism is galling. This is not primarily an education venue.
I'd rather not fall into the trap of civility politics. We will never be too "civil" for liberals. We could be as polite and understanding as possible and they could literally be yelling racial slurs at us and they will perceive it as us being uncivil and them being civil. They do not care about civility, it is merely an excuse to censor without appearing hypocritical.
This approach really should be common practice.
Most people here have forgotten what it's like to be a lib. Education is our goal. Don't let wanting to own someone get in the way of educating.
People may think tone policing is pointless or an outcrop of liberal civility politics, but we know libs don't understand words and they just focus on tone, so just use a polite tone to explain things. We see through the illusion, but it's important to them, and that's what matters.
This approach almost never works on the internet because there are no negative social consequences for them acting like a little shit. The internet makes dunking required.
It goes without saying that you should follow Huey's advice irl though.
I've seen comrades here making some really solid and calm effort posts in comments sections lately, and I've seen multiple people from other instances coming around to our ideas or at least entertaining them.
On the other hand, I haven't seen anyone come around after being dogpiled or dunked on. It doesn't even stop them from replying or spreading their dumb shit ideas.
You're right, the majority of people aren't going to come around regardless of what you say, but calm education should always be the first choice (especially because others might read it and be convinced). Dunking can come after that when they continue to be a little shit, but at least your effort post will remain public.
Nobody comes around during or right after a dunk. They're put in a defensive position. Dunks are for (1) anyone else reading and (2) the occasional self-reflection/unconscious internalization that takes place over days/weeks.
We've seen this work over and over again. It's why Hexbear is so pro-trans.
While I love the Black Panthers and Huey P Newton, you gotta note that we aren't living in a communist society right now.
neither were the Black Panthers or Huey Newton. This isn't an excerpt about living under communism, it's an excerpt about organizing.
My read on @kristina@hexbear.net's comment is "what Newton said and did ultimately did not work, so while it's good to read and consider, it is not necessarily the best approach."
That's fair, but is there an example of a more successful social movement that took place in America's material environment (or in any material environment) that we can look to that explicitly took a stance of bullying over welcoming but firm patience and had it work out for them?
Also fair.
You kind of hit it on the head: no one knows how to build socialism in the imperial core. To me, that suggests we look at every tactic we can but take nothing as authoritatively correct.
I'd add to take nothing as completely incorrect either.
I disagree with Kristina but also HexBear is not an organizing space. In real life, there are other avenues of respect that Leftists can gain outside of our Politics as simply words. Here, words are all that there is.
Yeah I guess we can pretty much scratch everything any communist ever wrote
Nah mostly think maos advice was better
Are you referencing this comment made earlier, or are you talking about something else Mao said? I initially assumed you were talking about Combat Liberalism but I also re-read it and he doesn't mention anything that goes against the Huey quote, just that liberalism needs to be opposed.
Probably got mixed up with that other comment yeah
he's talking about face to face interactions where you have body language to work with. it's possible to actually convince people of things when you're actually talking to them. but online forum posts don't have any of those features. they're purely textual. we draw people in by being funny assholes. we convince them when they ask for more reading to explain our worldview. you can't carry one mode of communication over to another.
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