=][= UPDATES TO B&C RULES =][=

Brother Tyler · September 27

We have made some minor updates to the community's rules. Most of these were cosmetic (e.g., changing the old headers into the new headers).

There were a few changes that were very important, albeit minor:

The forum formerly known as + FORUM RULES + has been re-named + ABOUT THE COMMUNITY + and the "forum rules" verbiage has been changed to "community rules" to better reflect the fact that this is a community that encompasses far more than just a discussion forum (though the discussion forum will always remain central to the things that we do here).
Doxxing (or doxing) a member of the community is now explicitly identified as a form of abusive behavior and subject to discipline.
Threatening violence against another member is grounds for immediate permanent banning (we have had to do this in the past, but we never explicitly described it in the rules).
Deliberate use of pronouns other than those that a member prefers, when done in a manner that is clearly intended to be abusive, may be grounds for disciplinary action.
Deliberate use of reactions in a manner that is clearly intended to be abusive may be grounds for disciplinary action.
The ++ CUSTODES ++ group (a form of super-moderator that we haven't used in years) has been removed.
The ++ MODERATI CEDO ++ group has been renamed the ++ CEDO ++ group (not all of them were moderators, after all).
The + RENUNCIATUS +, + EXCOMMUNICATUS +, and + UNSANCTIONED + groups have been added to the list of user groups.
The + FRATER NOVUS + group has been created and added to the list of user groups. This will affect newly-registered accounts.

In addition, I finally got around to adding A Note About Our Site Mascot, Imagery, and Terminology (i.e., why everything here evokes the Adeptus Astartes), an explanation of the Achievements & Ranks that you can earn here (you can see a listing of the various badges that you can earn), and an explanation of the Reactions, Reputation, and Reputation Level within the community.

Let's address the two issues that are likely to be contentious: gender pronouns and reactions. Neither of these is truly new - both have been addressed in the past via discussions. What we haven't done before, however, was explicitly mention them in the community rules as possible grounds for disciplinary action; we have only mentioned disciplinary action in public discussions about our policies. Disciplinary action for both of these behaviors has been an option since each issue was implemented, however.

In both cases, the behavior requires considerable evaluation and judgment - neither will automatically garner disciplinary action unless we determine that they are reasonably indicative of a pattern of intentionally abusive treatment.

Pronoun usage will be the most contentious. Advocates of preferred pronouns want mandatory preferred pronoun usage and disciplinary action for misgendering. Opponents of preferred pronouns disagree with nontraditional pronoun usage and compelled speech. (I have simplified the positions and descriptions of both camps). While I can't stop you from pointing me to sources that support whichever side you're on, you don't need to do that. I conducted extensive research, including peer-reviewed articles on studies from around the world (30+), as well as anecdotal discussions with myriad members on both sides, including transgender/non-binary and SGM persons that I know (and you may be surprised to hear that some of them don't support some/all preferred pronouns). Ultimately, the deciding factor in our policy comes down to multiple legal cases in which compelled speech is not supported. In order to promote inclusivity and harmony within the community, however, we provide the means by which members can identify their preferred pronouns and other members can use those pronouns, and we provide a suggested alternative for those that disagree with preferred pronouns (i.e., use the member's display name). All that said, we know that it is possible for members to treat other members abusively via pronoun usage (among other things). As with any other form of abusive treatment, that isn't acceptable and will incur appropriate disciplinary action.

Inappropriate reaction usage can usually be ascribed to members using the Haha reaction in a manner that is intended to insult and belittle rather than to express positive humor. The general idea behind the reactions is that you are engaging with members in a constructive manner, in a way that is intended to promote community and harmony. The Haha reaction is supposed to mean that you're laughing with the person that submitted the content. Some members have been using the Haha reaction to laugh at the person - to belittle and insult them. This is unacceptable antisocial behavior and needs to be discouraged. Members that have been doing this try to hide behind the defense that the content made them laugh so the Haha reaction is fair, and that the fact that the receiving member gains a reputation point means that the receiving member actually benefits from the reaction. However, they know that they're being abusive, the target of their abuse knows it, and so do we.

In both cases, if you think that someone is being abusive towards you, please use the REPORT function. Since both types of abusive behavior must be part of an established pattern, your report should include links to other instances in which the member behaved in the same way.

If you have questions or comments about any of the updates described above, please post a reply here.