Respect and Inclusivity
All members, including both regular members and staff, must be treated with courtesy at all times. This extends to public posts, profile posts, feedback ratings, and direct messages on The Bell Tree, as well as interactions in the Discord server or any other official social media. Members are also encouraged to extend courtesy to one another when interacting in off-site spaces, particularly in closely associated communities.
To maintain a respectful, inclusive, and comfortable environment for everyone, the following behaviors are prohibited:
Negative, Aggressive, or Passive-Aggressive Comments
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- “Guess reading the rules was too hard, huh?”
- “Whatever. Not my fault you can’t think.”
- Posting vague complaints like, “Some people here really need to grow up. 🙄”
Examples of behaviors that are allowed:
- Seeing a rule-breaking post and reporting it without commenting
- “I see where you’re coming from, but I disagree because [reason].”
Bullying and Harassment
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Ignoring boundaries (e.g., continuing to message someone who has asked you to stop)
- Gossiping or spreading false information about someone
- Cyberstalking
- Shaming (e.g., making negative comments about someone, criticizing their choices, or trying to embarrass them)
- Ostracism (e.g., organizing or encouraging deliberate group exclusion)
Examples of behaviors that are allowed:
- Leaving a conversation and putting someone on “Ignore”
- Disagreeing respectfully, while adding to the discussion (e.g., “I feel differently about that. I think [x].")
Threats
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- “I’ll kill you.”
- “You’ll regret that.”
- “I know people…”
- “I wish ‘something bad’ would happen to you.”
Intimidation
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Coercion (i.e., using fear, aggression, or threats to pressure or persuade someone)
- Guilt (e.g., using guilt to make someone feel bad for not agreeing with you)
- Forceful language (e.g., using words or phrases that strongly discourage differing opinions)
- Domination (e.g., overwhelming a conversation to silence other viewpoints)
Dog-piling
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Mass criticism (e.g., multiple people responding to someone’s post in a short period to criticize, mock, or insult their opinion)
- Negative coordination (e.g., communicating with others to target an individual)
Examples of behaviors that are allowed:
- Adding your perspective (e.g., “I agree with what’s been said, so I won’t repeat it. I just want to add…”)
- Using the Like reaction to support a viewpoint you agree with, when you don’t have anything new to contribute
Sexual Harassment or Sexual Remarks
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Making sexual jokes or comments about another member
- Sending flirty or suggestive messages
- Complimenting someone’s body or appearance in a way that could feel uncomfortable or objectifying
Stalking
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Tracking a user’s posts or activity across platforms
- Sharing screenshots or private details about a user’s off-site activity
- Repeatedly joining servers or spaces a user participates in after they’ve asked for distance
Discrimination
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Making negative or stereotypical comments about a person’s race, ethnicity, beliefs, sex, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, socioeconomic status, or background
- Excluding or belittling someone based on these characteristics
- Using slurs
Additionally, please avoid accidental misgendering, stereotyping, and joking about trauma, violence, or mental illness. Also see the full
Polcies on Discrimination & Bigotry.
Other Antisocial Behaviors
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Derailing threads to start arguments
- Encouraging others to break rules
- Participating in or promoting off-site spaces that target or ridicule other users
- Any other behavior that promotes hostility or encourages division within the community
Keeping Disagreements Civil and Constructive
Disagreements, discussions, and debates should always be expressed civilly and constructively. Only ideas should be critiqued, not people. Step away from discussions that become heated, and report rule-breaking behavior. Please follow staff instruction when staff request that a discussion stops.
Posts or messages should never contain the following behaviors:
Personal Attacks
Personal attacks include insults, name-calling, mocking, and belittling others.
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- “Wow, do you even think before you post?”
- “This is why no one takes you seriously.”
- “Some of the people on this site are so dumb...”
Baiting or Provoking
Baiting or provoking is any behavior intended to elicit an emotional reaction from a specific user or push them toward an argument.
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Saying, “No disrespect, but that is actually dumb. Can you explain exactly what you mean by…”
Examples of behaviors that are allowed:
- Asking genuine clarifying questions (e.g., “Would you mind explaining a bit more about [x]?”)
- Challenging an idea respectfully (e.g., “I can see your point, but in my view…”)
- Stepping away from a conversation
Trolling
Trolling is the deliberate attempt to provoke, annoy, or instigate negative reactions out of other users. This behavior frequently leads to arguments or derailed discussions.
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Posting intentionally inflammatory remarks with no intention of discussion
- Posting rule-breaking content (such as one-word replies or memes) to derail a thread
Examples of behaviors that are allowed:
- Sharing genuine opinions, even unpopular ones, respectfully
- Being humorous or joking, as long as it is not directed at other users
- Participating in discussions with the intent to engage constructively
Vague-Posting
Vague-posting is making a negative, critical, or accusatory comment about another member in a public post without naming them. This behavior can cause discomfort, speculation, rumors, or renewed conflict. If staff reasonably believe a post references another member negatively, they may seek clarification, or the post may be removed.
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- “One of my friends has stopped messaging me even though I know they’re online and active in another server.”
- “I’m so tired of a certain someone stirring up drama again”
Examples of behaviors that are allowed:
- Sharing feelings without referencing another member
- “I have some personal stuff going on, so I’m feeling a bit low today.”
- “I’m feeling really sad and overwhelmed right now.”
Escalating Conflicts
Arguments occur or escalate when disrespectful remarks or personal attacks are made and the target retaliates in kind, resulting in an ongoing back-and-forth exchange. This includes responding to rule-breaking behavior with further rule-breaking, which worsens the situation and disrupts discussion.
If you are the target of disrespectful behavior by another member, rather than retaliating, use the "Report" feature so staff can review and address the situation.
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Responding to insults with more insults
- Responding to rule-breaking behavior with more rule-breaking behavior
- Joining an argument to “take sides” and escalate it
- Continuing a hostile exchange after being asked to stop
Examples of behaviors that are allowed:
- Reporting rule-breaking behavior
- Responding civilly and within the rules
Uncivil, Dismissive, or Hostile Phrasing
For example, a member is expressing their opinion about a proposal to add stricter posting guidelines, such as requiring posts to meet a minimum length or stay strictly on topic.
Example of behavior that is not allowed:
- “Stricter posting rules are stupid. Some people just want to police and control others.”
(Dismissive tone, criticizes people instead of discussing the idea)
Example of behavior that is allowed:
- “Personally, I don’t think we need stricter posting rules. Most people already post thoughtfully, so I think staff should just focus on enforcing those rules.”
(Critiques the idea, neutral tone, offers their perspective)
Respecting Ban Decisions and Discussing Banned Members
When a member is permanently banned, staff have determined that their continued presence would negatively impact the community. To maintain a healthy and comfortable environment, members should not publicly promote or symbolically support banned users. This includes creating campaigns, threads, coordinated gestures, or profile elements (e.g., avatars, user titles) that visibly show support for a banned user. These actions can unintentionally reopen old conflicts, reignite tensions, draw attention to situations where other users have been negatively affected, or make affected members feel unsafe or unwelcome.
It is understandable to feel conflicted about a ban, especially if the banned member was a friend. Members are not prohibited from expressing empathy for the situation or maintaining off-site friendships. The intent of this rule is to prevent renewed conflict, not to police personal relationships.
Examples of behaviors that are not allowed:
- Coordinating, or participating in, a public protest or mass display to support a banned member.
- Changing a profile picture, signature, or user title, with the intent to match or support the banned member.
- Making public posts which argue the ban or question the decision.
- Re-posting a banned member’s content as a way to circumvent the ban.
Examples of behaviors that are allowed:
- A brief, neutral remark such as “I’ll miss seeing [User] around,” without further debate.
- Asking staff privately for clarification about a ban. Staff are limited in the information they can provide.
- Maintaining a friendship with the banned member off-site.