Just a little reminder to please be kind and respectful to others.
A big reason why a lot of people say they enjoy spending time here is the chill atmosphere and the lack of hate, which you often find in other spaces (like X, or Gallifrey Base).
We’ve noticed some heating up in discussions lately and wanted to just add a quick reminder so things don’t get out of hand.
Luckily I’m not seeing people attack other people personally, which is the worst it can get, but we are seeing people hate on writers, eras, etc. a bit more.
Please remember:
Every story is someone else’s favourite story. Less of the “this story is garbage” - that is a statement of fact which shuts down debate and just sounds aggressive. Instead you can say “I didn’t like this story, because of reasons…” or “This one is not for me, I didn’t like…”.
Also you can just agree to disagree
Remember that if you don’t have anything nice to say, it’s sometimes best to say nothing at all - don’t go looking for fights by posting on a thread about something you disliked.
Thank you for writing this! I have also felt like the tone has been a bit less kind lately, and I really hope that we can change that. I love this place, and I love to hear the opinions of people I disagree with. But I want it all to come from a place of respect and the love for a franchise that we all love enough to spend our time and money on.
That’s the beauty of fandom! There are as many fans and opinions as there are stories—there’s something for everyone. No one will like everything, and everyone will have something they like less, but that’s as it should be, and here we can discuss, share, and ponder about them with others, no matter what we think about the stories. Sometimes we agree, and sometimes we disagree, but it should always be done with respect and friendship. No one’s opinion is more right than someone else’s, and every opinion is valued!
I look forward to discussing more about all kinds of DW stuff. It’s genuinely interesting and enriching to see what people think of various aspects of the franchise, especially things I don’t know so much about!
Appreciate this a lot! I’ve really enjoyed venturing out of the discord to the forums it’s been a lovely experience for the most part. I’d ask people to be more mindful of those like myself that are huge Big Finish stans to not be super disrespectful abt BF especially if you don’t listen to them! Asides from that it’s been great and I’ve loved getting to know more of you that don’t frequent the discord!!!
This is really important, the eu is in no way less deserving of respect than the tv show.
Additionally I would like to apologise that perhaps I have been unnecessarily negative/hostile in my opinions on new who. You all are completely right that civility and friendliness are important and I will try to communicate in a less argumentative way in future.
The first rule of TARDIS Guide is always be kind. The second rule of TARDIS Guide is always be kind. The third rule of TARDIS Guide is… actually, I think I might have covered that one earlier.
I’m not sure I’ve seen anyone be even slightly disrespectful towards BF round here - in fact, it’s probably loved as much as the TV series going by the number of effusive threads about 11 & Valerie, Gallifrey, Torchwood and all of our Audio Clubs. We’ve even managed to get Dorian Gray on the Guide! Big Finish love stories. TARDIS Guide loves Big Finish.
Now I’m interested in what comments sparked this thread . And a bit paranoid I may have come across as argumentative when I never mean to.
Tone indicators help too. If you’re going to say a story is completely garbage, throw in a /s or a /hj. But not a /gen, that probably comes across as a bit rude.
Thank you for this Thread! It’s always important to remember that.
And I can only really echo what has been said here before.
I do say I am in a similar Position like @teslapunk3327, where I do fear that maybe I have come across more argumentative lately. I’m a terrible Judge when it comes to judging how I come across. So anybody is free to write me privately if they have been feeling like that I have been a bit too argumentative and/or too negative. I am only happy to hear any valid Criticism, so I can hopefully change for the better, if needed.
Apologies if I was ever part of the issue. I’ve definitely gotten frustrated in some discussions, as I think Delta and Tian can attest to, but I’ve always tried my best to keep things as civil and constructive as I can.
I hope it’s okay for me to share some concerns I have about the discourse about discourse.
I worry that an attitude like this will make us too arrogant, and not actually be helpful. I don’t think that TARDIS Guide’s forum is necessarily free of bother and hate, I just think it is more externally oriented. We are still people, and we fail frequently.
I don’t really see what makes TARDIS Guide’s forum different from other forums, except for its size. How might we ensure that we maintain a positive environment as we grow? Should our community guidelines be more explicit in their conduct, or more general to allow for flexibility in response?
Sometimes I worry that it is only a matter of time before I am exiled from TARDIS Guide due to something that I said. It can be difficult to determine what is acceptable and what is not. I suppose I am a very paranoid person, though.
Here is what our user guidelines currently say, for anyone who has forgotten and/or is curious:
The bottom line here is ‘respect everyone’s point of view and don’t be needlessly provocative’. To often in fandom people tend to double down on their point of view to the exclusion of all other opinions and then, inevitably, descend into personal attacks. That’s what we’re trying to avoid.
As a community, yes, we are small and that means it is easier to understand where people are coming from because we know each other that bit better, I would say, than we might on a forum with hundreds of users.
We can, as you say, all fail because we are human. All we ask, on TARDIS Guide, is that if you reflect on what you’re posting and the way threads might be heading.
At the end of the day, we’re all here for the same reason. We love Doctor Who. But we don’t all love it in the same way and that is the most important thing to remember.
No one will be exiled without a chance to reflect or explain or apologise. And if anyone ever feels unsafe always reach out to the @moderators and we will try to address things before they get to a point of no return.
As we grow we will need to pause and reflect on what is best for the forum and the community. We won’t please all the people all the time, but we will always try.
. And a bit paranoid I may have come across as argumentative when I never mean to.