I have put together a community guidelines document based on the feedback I have received. I think it captures the general viewpoint fairly well, but would like your feedback as to whether there is anything major that is unclear/wrong or even just bad grammar or spelling.

The first section will go into the sidebar, which will also have links to posts for the full guidelines, plus links for FAQs and ongoing discussion posts once they actually exist.

@[email protected] & @[email protected] will these work for you?

[email protected] Community Guidelines

What is this community about?

This community is a place created for the people of Melbourne and Victoria. We are a positive, welcoming and inclusive community. We might not agree about everything, but we always strive to stay civil and respectful.
The focus of our discussions is based around things that effect Victoria, but we are also free to discuss our local perspective on wider issues. Or head to the regular Daily Random Discussion thread to talk about anything.

What are you allowed to do here?

The overarching rule for the [email protected] community is “Be excellent to each other”. As part of the wider Aussie.Zone we also adhere to the wider rules of the instance:

1. Golden rule - don’t be a dick. If you wouldn’t say it in front of your grandmother, don’t post it.
2. No bigotry - including racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or xenophobia.
3. Be respectful. Everyone should feel welcome here.
4. No porn.
5. No Ads / Spamming.
6. Nothing illegal in Australia.

What can you post about?

The focus of posts should be on things happening in and effecting Melbourne and Victoria. That can include wider issues, but you should include something about how it relates to people more locally. For example general discussion of World news is outside the scope of this community, but talking about the impact on people locally is relevant.
Contributing to ongoing discussion posts is recommended over making a new post. Before posting check to see if there is already something similar you can join in, or check the list of ongoing discussion topics (to be linked to here once it is developed)

What can’t you post about?

Anything that is against the community or instance rules will be removed. This includes posts selling things and selling or rehousing pets.
Personal attacks, bigotry and harassment are not tolerated. Disagreements are allowed, but you should focus on maintaining a civil discourse and being open to listening to other points of view. If a disagreement becomes heated and you don’t think you can continue to do that you should leave the argument and agree to disagree.

What should you think carefully about before posting?

It is very easy and quick to share things, but it is a good idea to think about whether what you are posting really adds value to the community. It is easy for a post to get overwhelmed with things like memes or an excessive amount of pictures. Before posting, ask yourself is it likely to spark some discussion or provide helpful information? Would it be better to post as part of an ongoing post on a similar theme instead of a new post?

**Accessibility **is something that can be improved for everyone with a little bit of thought. If you do post a picture, adding some words as well can make your post more accessible for the blind and visually impaired. Animated gifs can cause migraines or seizures for some people and can be hard to tolerate for some neurodiverse people and those with sensory issues.

What happens when rules are broken?

If you see a post or comment that you believe is against the community guidelines and requires the attention of a moderator please use the report function. Posts and comments that are against the guidelines will be removed. If you post content that strongly violates the rules, or break the rules repeatedly, you may be removed from the community entirely.

Will things change in the future?

Any healthy community is a growing and evolving place and the community guidelines will also change to accommodate that. The moderators of this community will strive to maintain the community within the guidelines laid out, and to seek feedback from the community before making major changes to the guidelines. In any diverse group there will be a multitude of viewpoints and there will always need to be compromises made, but this community is built by and for the members and any future changes will be made with this in mind.