[tor-project] online environment blurb

[Allen Gunn]

George,

I can only offer a big "+1" to all this, I appreciate you drafting it.

I think an open question for me is "how can we make this maximally
'discoverable' in relevant channels?", especially for new community members.

peace,
gunner

On 10/11/2018 06:21 AM, George wrote:
> I know there's occasional issues regarding how some people interact on
> IRC and mailing lists, and I also know there's no magic bullets to
> ensure a friendly environment. But I jotted down this as a draft for the
> content of some solution or another. I don't know the form it would
> take, but at least it's a start at the substance.
> 
> ****
> 
> Tor Project channels such as mailing lists and IRC are primarily
> populated by diverse, uncompensated volunteers and privacy enthusiasts,
> with a wide range of native languages and computer experience, dwelling
> in an array of real-life conditions.
> 
> The average online participant is motivated to assist others or seek
> help in circumventing censorship and mitigating surveillance.
> 
> On that note, we implore everyone to maintain a friendly and collegial
> tone. You are unlikely to personally know other online dwellers, so
> realize their own physical circumstances may be very different from your
> perceptions.
> 
> Online Tor channel participants might not be fluent in the most commonly
> used languages, in particular English. Interpretations and tones are
> easily deceptive, even among speakers of English variants. Conducting
> oneself with patience and understanding is vital in keeping online
> discourse collaborative and productive.
> 
> In other cases, online Tor participants may not be expert computer
> users. Clearly phrasing technical questions isn't an innate ability, and
> more experienced users should look to ask simple, non-patronizing
> questions to help them articulate issues they face.
> 
> Finally and maybe most importantly, online participants may be in
> high-pressure environments, from dodging the watchful eyes of management
> or more starkly, evading an oppressive government. Possible
> repercussions for engaging in the Tor online community could mean loss
> of employment, harassment or worse.
> 
> Keep that in mind when engaging in online Tor channels. Patience and
> understanding, in addition to a imaginative empathy, allows us to make
> our community stronger and more capable of assisting each other.
> 
> 


-- 

Allen Gunn
Executive Director, Aspiration
www.aspirationtech.org

Aspiration: "Better Tools for a Better World"

Read our Manifesto: https://aspirationtech.org/publications/manifesto

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/aspirationtech

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