With regards to this policy, the following is strictly prohibited:
1. Prejudice (an attitude or belief that is often negative and based on preconceived notions about a group of people) and discrimination (actions or behaviors that result from prejudice) OF ANY KIND (including slurs, implicit/benevolent discrimination, etc.).
This covers, but is not limited to: race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexuality, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, educational level, disability, mental health status, physical health status, name, appearance, height, weight, employment status, citizenship status, genetic information, species, age, or any other (legally or otherwise) protected characteristic.
2. Harassment (as defined by behaviors intended to disturb, upset, or intimidate individuals or groups)
This also includes pursuing someone with multiple questions (such as asking for sources when that has been addressed already) with an intent to exhaust people, provoke frustration, and make them look unreasonable.
If someone tells you to stop communicating with them, stop. Continuing may and will be considered stalking.
3. General disrespect, including:
Ad hominem attacks (as defined by attacking the character or other attributes of any person)
Trolling (as defined by the act of deliberately provoking or upsetting others online, often for amusement or to elicit a reaction)
Retaliation (as defined by the act of responding to an action, often perceived as harmful or unjust, with a counteraction)
Profanity (as defined by language that is considered offensive, vulgar, or disrespectful, including swear words, curse words, or slurs that can express strong emotions such as anger, frustration, or surprise) in any and all forms, including foreign-language profanity.
Any suggestive or passive-aggressive comment that the site operator(s) you're communicating with may potentially find disrespectful. If you want to say something, ask if it's okay if you can say it to me.
【IMPORTANT NOTE: Regarding tone-policing (as defined by complaining about someone's tone in a discussion because it's perceived as heated, disrespectful, etc. as a means to silence, marginalize, or invalidate that someone): I want to start off by saying that such behavior is prohibited.
That being said, there is a substantive difference between engaging in such behavior as a means to shut the speaker down in those three aforementioned ways and pointing out that someone's specific delivery may, intentionally or not, greatly upset or trigger someone within the audience.
Are the triggered "just" protecting themselves from discomfort? Not necessarily. For all we know they could genuinely feel unsafe, especially if they've been through verbal abuse or repeated exposure to profoundly harmful experiences or even just secondhand content.
Even if there isn't any immediate physical harm. I know I've personally been through verbal abuse a lot in school, so this separates me from those who merely feel "uncomfortable".
Given these nuances, I may make accommodations and may put my content over a Content Warning or change some things if the requester can demonstrate a genuine self-reported impact on their well-being (for example, a disability, mental health condition, or trauma) This does not require any strict documentation, just any sign that you're being genuine about it. Of course, we shouldn't have to prove our sensitivities to others just to coexist with everyone else.
For example, if a word I use bothers you, your reason should go beyond being seen as overly concerned with formal rules for me to change how I talk about something.
If your request is in good faith, we can discuss it together. If not, it may be denied, especially if your attempts to get others to consider your perspective are unconstructive or toxic. I will treat requests as in good faith unless there is clear evidence of the opposite happening.
Still, in any case, I recognize that not everyone wants to "build resilience" their way out of things (which I personally view as simplistic advice that doesn't account for multiple factors).】
4. Threatening communications, even in jest. It will be reported to law enforcement accordingly and immediately!
5. Suggestive comments that attempt to engage in any of the prohibited activities (statements or remarks that imply or hint at inappropriate, offensive, or otherwise unacceptable content).
This includes making a comment that indirectly refers to a specific person or group of people without mentioning them by name in a way that is demeaning or offensive, regardless of who is the target and regardless of intent.
If you feel that your comment meant no harm, please provide a written explanation that explains your comment in the clearest way possible ASAP.