github_changes.md

Changes to GitHub

• Add a server-rules repo to the progdisc GitHub.
• The server rules could be one file, the README, or could be split into topic files.
  • I anticipate we may use one file for the rules and perhaps another for samwho's server mantras if we want those.
  • See also, maybe a code of conduct if we adopt one. There is a whole class of official documentation that we could store here.

Changes to #welcome

• Safety Jim's message becomes "Welcome to Programming Discussions, [Name]. You are in our holding room for 3 minutes. Please take this time to review our rules at <github.com/progdisc/server-rules>"

Changes to #information

• #information contains three messages:
  • "The Server Rules are here: <github.com/progdisc/server-rules>"
  • "The Server Invite is: asdfdafdsfklh"
  • "You can join our GitHub organization: <github.com/progdisc>"
• Note this also frees up a lot of important text real estate. We could promote other things here, as necessary, without creating extra channels like #invite-link.

"But storing the rules on GitHub is an extra click."

• From #welcome, clicking a link into #information is no different and no easier than clicking link to Github.
  • They click one link, just like they do now, and it sends them to our rules, just like it does now.
• I also don't understand why them "opening a web browser" is an imposition because they are connected to the internet if they're on Discord. From their perspective, it will be the same as before.
• If a user clicks on #information to get rid of the white label, they will see the rules, the invite, and the organization. That provides them with access to what we want them to read, the answer to our most common question (where's the invite?"), and promotes our open source activities. (...if we had any. <w< :fischerprice:)

"But we need a TL;DR"

• The TL;DR is "don't be a dick," just like any other place on the internet.
• If a user needs to be reminded of a specific rule, we have Jim's tags for that.
• We should make the rules easy for someone to read, but not excuse someone from reading them by providing them with an alternative version that is "good enough," which also implies that some rules are less important than others.

"But what if they still don't read the rules?"

• Ignorance of the law is not immunity from the law. If they break our rules, we can BAN them. If they don't read the rules and are a jerk, then they aren't the kind of person we're interested in attracting anyway.
• We should design the server so that it is most useful to the people we want to attract, not make things more complicated (using a script to update #information) in order to defend against bad users we have the power to eliminate. Those bad users can read rules just as well as good users. It's not a big ask.

"We'll use a script to update #information"

• Coordinating a script between us is another layer of complexity. It may not be that complex, but it is another thing that each of us has to learn and each new moderator has to learn. I feel this is unnecessary.
• Storing the rules in both places violates DRY, and the #information version would not update automatically. It would always take moderator intervention. I feel this is also unnecessary.

"I don't think the rules will change that often."

• Neither do I, but they could. It is better to store the rules somewhere where there is a very clear implication that they are up for discussion by anyone. It's also better than having one of us post the rules in #information because, then, only that person can edit the rules. The script would fix that quibble, but at the expense of keeping this simple.