Civility Rules
At Northfield.org, we believe that civil discourse is essential for a healthy community. When people feel safe to express their perspectives, we can have nuanced conversations that bring us closer to better solutions to local issues. And since we all live in or near Northfield, these online conversations can also provide opportunities to meet and get to know each other in ways that strengthen the social fabric.
Though the internet has connected us like never before, it has also enabled polarization and hostility in public online discussions. We aim to counter this trend.
We've designed our discussion guidelines to foster a culture of civility so that it's clear to participants that they can share their views, contribute information, ask honest questions, respectfully disagree, laugh, and come away from the experience feeling better about themselves and the community.
It can help to ask yourself:
Am I bringing a spirit of inquiry when I visit? Or do I mainly want to promote a point of view that I've already formed?
Do my words and my tone reflect this spirit of inquiry?
Am I acting in a way that will make others feel valued, even when I disagree with them?
Rules
Do not use sarcasm. Sarcasm can seem harmless on the surface, but it is highly destructive to productive dialogue. Even when not intended to harm, sarcastic comments mock perspectives and shame participants. Once introduced, sarcasm quickly breeds resentment and shuts down open sharing from all sides. It signals that the discussion is no longer cooperative but oppositional.
Do not use words or a tone of voice that conveys intimidation, subtle put-downs, innuendo, mocking, etc.
Do not use hate speech. Yes, hate speech is legally protected under the First Amendment. But as a private entity, we have the right to set boundaries that encourage constructive dialogue. Hate speech can potentially be directed at any group—including those defined by political ideology or affiliation. This is antithetical to our goals of civil engagement. As such, we define hate speech as speech that attacks or disparages any group of people in a way that DISMISSES or dehumanizes them, promotes hatred OR discrimination against them as a class OR GROUP, or suggests they are inherently STUPID or inferior. By disallowing hate speech, we are exercising our prerogative to foster a climate of mutual understanding and respect.
Do not use personal or ad hominem attacks
Do not assume or attribute the motives of other participants.
When disagreeing with a participant, address them in the first person, using their name as if conversing face-to-face, e.g., "John, I think you're wrong because…" Talking about someone when they are present ('in the room') feels insulting.
Except for #6, the same rules apply when discussing public officials, community leaders, and fellow citizens who are NOT participating in the online discussion. Talk about them as if they were.
Don't insert off-topic promotion of products, services, or events.
Guidelines
Text-based discussions can sometimes go off the rails because of the need for verbal and visual cues to signal our positive tone and intent. Craft your comments with that in mind, and use emojis in ways that can help.
Be judicious in your use of profanity. Never direct it to anyone.
Argue ideas, not individuals—critique ideas and positions, not the person.
Listen thoughtfully. Make an effort to understand perspectives different from your own. Ask clarifying questions if needed.
Share airtime. Allow others time to share their views. Do not dominate the conversation.
Use evidence. Support your claims with facts, data, and credible sources.
Be concise. Make your point and allow room for others.
Own your mistakes. If you say something inappropriate, apologize sincerely and reflect on how to improve.
Focus on solutions. Consider shifting the conversation to collaborative problem-solving.
You own your own words, but they are public, so choose them carefully. We could highlight your comments in a new post. Others might quote you in their comments. Search engines and AI bots might harvest your words for their purposes. We will get your permission to quote you outside of this Substack, but we can't prevent others from quoting you elsewhere without your consent.
Enforcement and intervention
We aim to have participants self-monitor and uphold these conversation rules and guidelines. But, of course, violations will happen, and we have ways to respond.
If you post something that, in our opinion, violates our rules or guidelines, our approach will be:
If we judge it as a minor infraction, we’ll publicly remind you of the rule or guideline. We might ask you to edit your comment.
If we judge it to be a significant infraction, we might ask you to edit it. We might also remove your comment from the discussion thread/public view, retaining a copy of the original.
We'll post a public explanation in a comment directed at you. For example, "Waldo, I've moderated (temporarily removed) your comment because of our rule against sarcasm. Please try again. If you need the text of your original, contact me, and I'll send it to you."
Why the public intervention?
The Substack platform immediately publishes new comments. No matter how fast we try to moderate a comment, many people will likely have seen it, and its negative impact will have begun.
A public intervention allows other participants to learn what's acceptable and what's not. It reassures everyone we're enforcing the rules. Our intent is not to embarrass you, but unless we say something publicly, everyone will wonder if there's anyone in charge.
Excluding people is a last resort. But if someone consistently degrades the discussion, or if we judge any offense to be egregious, we will ban you, either temporarily or permanently.
We encourage everyone to click the 'report' button next to a comment if they think it is questionable. We get notified immediately and can make a quick decision about it.
We seek your advice
We welcome advice on how to make this document better. And feel free to ask questions about situations you need clarification on. Add your comment below or contact us.