Say Something Nice

This is a very rough draft. Even though it's written as if it's a rule, it's only something that might be proposed. It needs to be completed and discussed. I will post in G2G when/if ready. Thanks. -- Whitten-1 13:39, 20 September 2016 (EDT)

Being Nice is Required

This is a rule of our community: "If You Can't Say Something Nice, Don't Say Anything at All."

It can be abbreviated as "Say Something Nice" or "SSN". (Yes, many of us associate SSN with Social Security Number, but that just makes it easier for genealogists to remember.)

Say Something Nice means:

Never communicate in a purely negative way on WikiTree. When you have to disagree with someone or point out a mistake, take the time to include something positive, kind, or complimentary.

Say Something Nice complements Don't WikiTree While Angry (DWWA). DWWA says that if you're feeling negative, you shouldn't participate. SSN says that if you are participating, communicate positively.

Applying the Rule

Being diplomatic takes extra effort.

If you're about to say something negative, first ask yourself if it needs to be said.

If it does need to be said — because it will help the other person or our shared mission — think about whether it can be framed in a positive way.

For example ...

When correcting a mistake, always find a way to compliment or thank the other person first. At the least, you can thank them for making contributions to our common project.

If you're not saying something negative, but it could be misinterpreted, use an "emoticon" smiley face such as :-).

If You Can't Say Something Nice

The content of our tree is open to everyone. Participating in growing the tree is not. We limit participation to those genealogists who embrace our Honor Code and community culture — a culture based on positive, productive collaboration.

Everyone makes mistakes. Nobody is expected to be perfectly polite and considerate at all times.

However, if you're consistently unable or uninterested in working hard to be nice to other contributors, you shouldn't be actively collaborating here. If you have important genealogical information to contribute, you could consider a non-personal public comment on a profile.

This page was last modified 14:21, 27 September 2016. This page has been accessed 33 times.