Group Chat Community Guidelines
Large, chaotic group chats are a big part of Safe Street Rebel. As a leaderless group grounded in consensus, mutual respect, and a shared desire to end car dominance, we're not that fond of rules. But maintaining a welcoming, growing community that embodies these values inevitably requires some structure.
So we're establishing some group chat guidelines so everyone feels welcome. These may change or evolve. Let's see how it goes:
Post to Create a Welcoming Space
That mostly means being aware of the impact of your words, not just your intent. There are a lot of people in this community, and this chat is especially meaningful to those of us who don't always feel welcome in many safe street spaces. So, while things like shitposting are fine and encouraged, microaggressions and exclusionary language only deter people in the community from having a voice.
Speak up if Vibes are Off
Call in, don’t call out, but do feel empowered to say something. This is your group chat!
Treat this Chat as Essentially Public
You are posting to 300 people. Don’t say anything that will get you or your friends arrested or hit with a conspiracy charge.
This is a leftist, anti-fascist group
We are anti-carceral urbanists. Infrastructure over cops and community over cars. If you officially work or volunteer for conservative/centrist politicians or groups, be very selective about promoting them in the chat. Only do so when especially relevant, and don't do so repeatedly. If you happen to be a conservative in the chat, keep it focused on transportation. This is not a black-and-white rule. Good faith questions are always allowed.
Don't Be Racist
And if someone tells you that something you wrote or said is racist, believe them, step back & take time to reflect.
Don't Flame People in the Group Chat
It's ok to disagree! It's not ok to insult people or their ideas, or be generally disrespectful. Save that shit for cagers. If you have a problem with somebody, take it to DMs. In the case of a heated disagreement in the chat, you maybe asked by others to take it to DMs, in which case please do so! If you want help handling an issue, please reach out to a chat admin (shown in the member list in signal).
No Non-Consensual Photos
Don’t snitch on people with their face. Photos of license plates are okay. We are against the surveillance state in general, but shaming bad or dangerous drivers is allowed.
Prioritize Actionable And Accessible Messages
Actionable means that messages should have an underlying goal and that goal should be stated explicitly or obvious from context: like being informative, asking earnest questions, bringing up an action idea, etc. Messages without an obvious purpose can be confusing and end up being noisy, especially to newer folks. Similarly, accessible means messages should have context and not be too wonky. People without extensive knowledge of the city, local politics, or history should feel like they can easily participate. If it’s not actionable, it should be interesting.
Be Aware of How Much Space You Take Up
Be mindful of both how many messages you're sending compared to the rest of the group as well as the amount of vertical space you’re taking up in the chat. Having too few people sending the majority of the messages can make it harder for newer folks to speak up.
Be Yourself
We all come to this space differently. Some of us are victims of traffic violence; some of us live to mitigate the climate emergency; some of us care deeply about safe bicycle infrastructure; some of us just want Muni to have signage. Most of us want a combination of these things. All of us exist & have been brought up in a world dominated by car culture, the petrostate and the unrelenting shittiness of capitalism. Your perspective matters.