Read before posting: Wittiquette

[Glüc da Dhi S.H.]

Part I: Introduction

Wittenberg is the main forum used by the Talossan community and official Talossan organisations and the government. In a sense it is a digital representation of Talossa itself. A townsquare of sorts where Talossans gather to discuss matters important to them, surrounded by various buildings which host governmental organisations and agencies including the Ziu and the Court.

For the most part this provides Talossan citizens with the freedom to speak, joke around and argue, like one might in any real public space. However, this is not the full story, because while we may sometimes act like we are talking face to face, there are some real differences between online and offline communication. Freedom is also not absolute. There are some rules for keeping public order that must be followed in order to be allowed to participate here. These are listed in the second part of wittiquette. Finally, while Talossans are mostly free to do and say as they please that does not always mean doing so is always the wisest course of action if you want to be a valuable part of the community. This is why the third part contains some advice that you are free to ignore, but would be wise to keep in mind.

[Glüc da Dhi S.H.]

Part II: Some very hard rules

• Do NOT post personal/contact information (phone numbers, email addresses, etc) without someone's consent.
  This includes the Non-Talossan name of those who prefer to use their Talossan name!
  
  


• Do not post any malware or infected links. If you have doubts about whether a link is safe, don't post it.
  
  


• Don't do anything illegal (duh!) or with obvious malicious intent.
  This Includes:
  
  
  
  • Making claims/allegations about Talossans that could be considered libel/slander
  • Pyramid schemes, other attempts to scam Talossans out of their money
  • Incitement of Violence
  • Revenge porn, or posting any material that is intended to personally humiliate someone.
  • Blackmail.
  
  


• Do not post any extreme violence, gore, pornographic material or anything that is inappropriate for 14 year old viewers.
  
  


• When posting material that includes mild violence, contains nudity or might be considered disturbing for whatever reason exercise restraint and consider whether your post has a purpose first.
  
  


• Do not post gifs/animations that may induce epileptic seizures (i.e. change luminosity/colour at high frequency).
  
  


• Do not use abusive language. This may include swearing, wishing harm upon or threatening to harm other users. Definitely do not use any discriminatory slurs.
  
  


• Don't be a troll or otherwise post in a way that is intended solely to annoy people or infuriate them.
  
  


• Don't de-rail or take a thread off the original topic by posting another topic or changing the subject.
  
  


• Don't engage in disruptive posting. This may include:
  
  
  
  • Excessive posting, especially in a way that does not contribute anything
  • Repeatedly posting in incorrect threads or boards
  • Excessive inclusion of large media files.
  • Changing your signature to be excessively large.
  • Wildly excessive use of capitalisation, large fonts, colours, moving items, symbols, swearwords, gibberish, etc.
    
    
  
  
  
  

[Glüc da Dhi S.H.]

Part III: Some well intentioned advice

Posting online
is not the same as talking in the street. There are some important differences. If you have an argument with someone in the street, when the argument is over, the nasty things you may wish you hadn't said only exist in memory. Online, however they are likely to stay there for a while, confronting both you and the recipient. The audience is wider too. When you talk about at someone you do so for an audience of dozens of (future) readers. Thankfully though, conversations also happen much slower, which gives you a chance to breathe, count to ten, and most importantly, think before you post.

Talossa is a county, but also a community.
A small community of actual people (with actual feelings) who want the best for Talossa and are willing to spend part of their free time in it. If arguments turn into nastiness remember that this might turn people off, both prospective and older citizens. This will harm Talossa. Also keep in mind that most officers are held by citizens who are not professionals but are still willing to serve Talossa for free.

Argue in good faith.
Some tips: try to separate the political from the personal. That means if you disagree with someone try to focus on the relevant topic rather than attack the person. At the same time don't get too easily offended if someone attacks your politics. Be honest about your positions. When someone argues with you it's often best to consider the argument rather than dissect the motivation behind it. In most arguments both sides genuinely believe their position is best for Talossa.

Some things are not for everyone.
Posting on most boards means everyone can see it, including people who are not Talossan citizens, but who might be, for example, children, or future employers of fellow citizens. If you are about to post something that someone might not want the entire internet to know, you could consider doing so in the chatroom, which can only be seen by accepted members. Immigration boards also can not be seen by the outside world. Personal details of immigrants are best discussed there (especially when they have not had the chance to adopt a Talossan name). In some cases you may also consider using personal messages to communicate rather than posting on the forum.

Everything in its right place.
Wittenberg is divided into various boards and subboards, each with their own purpose. Some of these may have their own rules, which you should keep in mind. Before you create a new thread, please consider what the appropriate place is. In most cases this should be pretty straightforward.
Note that the Cosa and Senate boards should only be used by members of the Cosa or Senate or people specifically invited to comment there. Similarly the Courtroom or the Lobby (Ziu) should only be used by those with specific business there (Ministers addressing the Ziu, parties to a court case, etc).
The Hopper is free to be used by anyone including non-MZ's, as long as the subject concerns legislative proposals.
If a topic does not belong in any specific category please use the General board for announcements/discussions that are relevant to the community as a whole, or where it is important that certain people see them. Games, memes, random thoughts etc usually belong in the chatroom.

New and prospective citizens
are very welcome to participate, especially in the chatroom, but in other boards as well, provided you keep in mind the above advice. Coming up with new initiatives and ideas is fine of course, but do also keep in mind that Talossa has many traditions and a long history, which is worth understanding first before you get upset people don't like some of your proposals. Finally if you are a citizen of a different micronation, it is fine to talk about this (preferably in the chatroom), but don't spam people to death with it. Not everyone is going to be interested.

[Glüc da Dhi S.H.]

Part IV: Some additional clarifications to the rules

Breaking the rules in part 2 may result in your postings being edited and/or a warning, and sometimes, a ban. Most of the time you won't get a ban without getting a warning first. However, serious intentional violations of the worst cases described in the first 6 rules may result in an instant ban. Precise details are described in the moderation guide.

The Ziu (Lobby, Cosa, Senate) and Court boards have their own rules which are administered by their own moderators. However, rules 1 to 5 still apply there for online safety/privacy reasons and all rules still apply to non-MZs posting in the Ziu without invitation to avoid consequences elsewhere.

If you are a citizen and do get a ban typically you will still be allowed to post in the Courtroom. Members of the Ziu will also still be allowed to post in the Ziu. However, if you abuse these exceptions (for example by posting things in the courtroom that are not relevant to proceedings there or by breaking the rules again) your ban may become forum wide. All bans are temporary but can be extended if you break the rules again.

[Sir Txec dal Nordselvă, UrB]

The Chancery reaffirms the above as the valid and enforceable rules of Wittiquette on this forum until such time as the policies can be reviewed and/or updated.

Signed August 24, 2020

Dr. Txec dal Nordselvă,
Secretary of State