Tenets of P&CE

Williebee · Jun 12, 2015

The "Tenets of P&CE"

This is an attempt to distill the more than a decade of advice and guidance that has gone into making open, honest discussion possible here. We don't always succeed, but this is what we have used to make it work.

There is a discussion thread for these tenets available as well.

Your participation in P&CE
professes your understanding of the following:

Respect Your Fellow Writer (RYFW) - It’s the closest AW gets to a cardinal rule.
Assume Good Intentions. -- What you read may not have been intended in the way you processed it. Ask questions. Read the whole thread. Ruminate before responding.
You will be offended by some of what is posted in P&CE; You will offend others on occasion. You are old enough to deal with it and respond in a civil and thoughtful manner. Everyone has the privilege to be an ass now and then. No one has the right to make it a habit. The report button is a good option. Putting the member who bothers you on ignore is another. That said, there’s a lot right in the simple civility of an apology.
Everyone here is smarter than you about something. Likewise, you are smarter than others about something else. Use your words to bring light, not just heat; understanding, not merely offense.
No one else here has lived their life behind your eyes. All opinions are welcome. It is expected that statements of fact will include some support in the form of links, references and citations. They help to communicate the point.
That said, do your own research about topics if you want to know more about them. Discourage the habit of getting spoonfed information. Part of thinking for ourselves and owning our own words is doing the work. Just like writing out in the world.
Address the point(s) made, not the poster. Personal attacks are "right out."
Having trouble grokking that? Here’s a simple crutch -- If the post you composed contains any form of the word “you” it probably needs an editing pass before posting.
Labels, blanket statements and generalities describe fictional entities. In discourse, they’re lazy. Likewise, “All/None/Every/Always/Never” will rarely result in an accurate statement of fact or opinion.

Please note: None of this is "new" information. As stated, it is just an attempt to distill and update the previous Stickies, which have been linked to and then "unstickied".

Thank you.

Tenets of P&CE

Williebee

Capeless, wingless, & yet I fly.