1. Be kind to all, including those who believe, think, and live differently than you.

This is a community centered on the craft of storytelling. As a result, you may hear stories about people whose lifestyles and beliefs are different than yours. Be kind regardless of your opinion about those lifestyles and beliefs. People of all backgrounds, identities, and beliefs feel welcome.

We won’t tolerate harassment, hate speech, or jerkiness.

If we observe this behavior or receive a valid complaint about your conduct, we’ll remove your comment and/or ban you from our pages. Comments that we find to be inflammatory will also be removed. Every person in our community deserves safety and respect.

2. Support members of the community with the best and kindest of intentions, or just don’t say anything.

Feedback is essential, but it must be offered with an open heart and the kindest and best of intentions. If this is beyond your capacity, simply say nothing.

3. Keep your comments about the craft. Do not make value judgments about the content or the person producing the content.

When we offer feedback on stories or any other content being presented, it should also center on the craft of storytelling and not the choices, opinions, thoughts, or words contained within the story. We comment on how the story was told. Not what the story is about.

4. Don’t spam the community.

We want to make this community enjoyable for everyone. Spammy behavior ranges from submitting unrelated, self-promotional links to flooding posts with the same comment over and over again. No one likes a spammer. Even their own mother.

5. Stay on topic.

If you connect with a person in our community and want to engage in a more personal conversation, conduct that engagement outside the community. Inside the community, we discuss storytelling and everything related to it, but we don’t want to see your recipe for the world’s greatest bundt cake.

6. Be respectful.

Offensive language of a racist, sexist, or homophobic nature is not permitted.

Also, I try to avoid swearing and ask for you to do the same. This isn’t to say you may not slip from time to time (as I might), but try your best. Sometimes little children are listening.

7. Storytelling is not therapy.

Actually, storytelling is therapy, but not here. So please don’t bring us endless stories about your mother’s unwillingness to recognize your innate talent and expect commentary on how mean and rotten she is. Not only is this not the place for that commentary, but you will eventually bore us with the same old story.

8. Some content should be avoided.

Some stories are best kept to yourself or saved for your therapist or loved one. They include:

• Stories involving animal abuse
• Stories involving sexual abuse of any kind
• Stories about serious crimes committed by you
• Stories that speak about the New York Jets in a favorable light

We have a saying in the theater: “Take care of your audience.” Do the same here. If your story contains content that might make community members uncomfortable, avoid it.