Hi everyone at BSD Cafe,
I’d like to start by thanking everyone for being part of this community - your presence and support truly mean a lot!
This message will appear across all my BSD Cafe social accounts, as I’d like to make sure it reaches everyone. Apologies for the duplication, but I genuinely believe it’s important.
Lately, there have been some discussions and questions surrounding content moderation on our instance, and I wanted to take a moment to offer some clarity and reaffirm the spirit of our community.
As you know, BSD Cafe was founded as a space primarily focused on technology, with a special place for *BSD and open source. More importantly, though, I want it to be a positive, welcoming, and constructive place for everyone. Our community guidelines, especially principles like "Promote Positivity" and "Be Kind," are central to this vision.
I've seen questions arise, sometimes involving accusations of political censorship from different perspectives, regarding why certain posts might be moderated. I want to be very clear on this: My moderation approach focuses primarily on the tone and manner of communication, not the specific topic itself.
I don't intervene simply because a post discusses politics, a particular tech company, or any potentially divisive subject. I do step in when a post, regardless of the topic or the viewpoint being expressed, adopts a tone that is:
* Provocative or intentionally confrontational.
* Aggressive or disrespectful towards other users or groups.
* Overly negative without constructive intent.
* Contrary to our core principles of kindness and mutual respect.
This standard applies equally to everyone and every "side." If someone were to post something like "Users of X software are idiots," I would address that just as readily as any other topic presented in a hostile way, even if I personally dislike software X.
The goal isn't to "censor" opinions, but to preserve an environment where discussions, even critical ones, can happen civilly and respectfully, without descending into flame wars or personal attacks. We aim to be a space that is pro-constructive dialogue and pro-positivity, not anti-anyone.
BSD Cafe is our shared digital home. Let's continue working together to keep it a pleasant and rewarding place where we can share ideas, learn, and connect over our shared passions (tech and beyond!), feeling comfortable and respected.
Thank you sincerely for your understanding and for everything you contribute to making BSD Cafe a special community!
Let's keep building this positive space together.
) and some extra care for the BSD Cafe.
