Kindness Blossom - PracticingDeveloper/guidebook GitHub Wiki

If you feel like a discussion is getting heated, or someone is being needlessly harsh, you're welcome to post a :blossom: (:blossom:) to remind everyone in the group to "Be Kind".

We're trying to create a group of friendly and thoughtful members, but we're also only human. Here are a few reasons why the :blossom: might be needed from time to time:

• We work in a field that can be stressful at times, and all of us will have bad day once in a while. Sometimes our agitation spills over into how we interact with one another on the internet. Without the usual social cues that come from face-to-face interaction, this can easily go unnoticed unless someone calls attention it it.

• The public internet is also sometimes a harsh and unforgiving place. Conversations on Reddit, Twitter, Hacker News and similar places can easily become heated, often because the participants are simply not taking the time to try to understand one another.

• Certain issues are also naturally going to create some strong reactions. You may recall things that were sources of conflict from your own work, or in the various community projects you've worked on. When that happens, it's easy to accidentally lash out at others without thinking about the fact that it's an entirely different context.

• It takes quite a bit of work to clearly express yourself in writing, and so it is easy for even well-intentioned feedback or constructive criticism to sometimes come across as harsh or insensitive. Our group is made up of people from many different cultural backgrounds, and so it's hard to assume a certain baseline when it comes to what is comfortable and uncomfortable in social interactions.

The :blossom: is meant to be a simple reminder for everyone to calm down and try to be good to one another. It's not meant to be a stern rebuke; instead it signals a mindset of "Let's cool down and start over, shall we?"

Anyone may post a :blossom: during an active conversation, even non-participating observers in the room. Whenever that happens, pause briefly, and then pick things up again as soon as you're ready to do so with the goal of being considerate of one another.

You can and should use the :blossom: to remind Gregory to be kind. As moderator, he may be the one who needs that feedback the most.

See also: Turtle Power