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:

  1. 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.
  2. Do not ping users from other federated instances with intent to goad or mock.
  3. Do not directly link to comments or posts of other federated instances on public posts with intent to goad or mock.
  4. Disengagement rules, whilst not amended, are thoroughly emphasized regarding visiting users.

Federated Instances

Assume the conduct outlined regarding local communities, as well as:

  1. When in a federated instance, their rules (and their code of conduct) apply.
  2. 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.
  3. 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 07

  • 420blazeit69 [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    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.

    • immuredanchorite [he/him, any]
      ·
      1 year ago

      ON THE CORRECT HANDLING OF CONTRADICTIONS AMONG THE PEOPLE

      To criticize the people's shortcomings is necessary, . . . but in doing so we must truly take the stand of the people and speak out of whole-hearted eagerness to protect and educate them. To treat comrades like enemies is to go over to the stand of the enemy.

      Talks at the Yenan Forum on Literature and Art" (May 1942), Selected Works, Vol. III, p. 92

    • aaro [they/them, she/her]
      ·
      1 year ago

      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.

    • JoeByeThen [he/him, they/them]
      ·
      1 year ago

      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.