The Meadowsweet Commons is an experiment in nonlinear online community, modeled on the idea of the old village commons. That means that we do things a little bit differently around here.

One thing we do differently is our Comment Policy. Instead of giving you a list of “thou shalt nots” and then policing the Commons for violations, we’d rather give you an idea of the kind of behaviors that we would like to see and encourage you to adopt them.

• Communication is all about community. One-time comments left by visiting guests are certainly welcome, but the real purpose of the Meadowsweet Commons is to help cultivate and nurture community among readers and fans. Whenever you leave a comment here, please keep in mind that you are not a lone voice crying out in the wilderness — you are In the Square or On the Green, among other members of the community who have voices, ideas and experiences of their own.
• Generosity and honor go hand-in-hand. ‘Honor’ is an important value, especially among many Pagan communities today. But let’s not forget that impugned honor — or the appearance of it — could often be a cause for pointless and silly blood-feuds among our ancestors. So while we ask that you do your best to act honorably and respectfully towards other members of the Commons, we also want to encourage you to show generosity of spirit as well, especially towards those who disagree with you. Context, tone and body language can be easily misinterpreted in online conversations; generosity and a willingness to allow perceived offenses to slip by unremarked can go a long way in helping everyone act more honorably towards each other.
• The best kind of contribution is a kind of cultivation. Remember when your parents told you, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”? Well, you’re welcome to raise objections or provoke difficult conversations here in the Meadowsweet Commons, but keep in mind that the purpose of this space is to cultivate connection and community — not to give you your own personal soapbox for spouting off grievances or complaints. If you don’t have anything nice to say, then find a way to make your comments or criticisms relevant, practical and helpful to others. After all, you can’t grow vegetables just by yelling about the weeds. Get your hands dirty and be prepared to contribute meaningful and substantive ideas to the conversation. And don’t forget that others are trying their best to do the same.
• Shared gifts are more about attending than attention. The Commons is a shared gift, both given and received by the community. It is not meant to be a place for hucksters and salespeople to pander their wares. While we encourage members to share information about products and services they offer to the benefit of the community, the Commons is not an appropriate place for spam or blatant self-advertising. Rather than trying to use the Commons as a way to gain attention for yourself, we ask instead that you think of this space as an opportunity to attend to others — listen to the currents and needs of the community, and offer your services or products with sincerity only when you think they will actually be of benefit to others.
• Leave a trail of breadcrumbs. Finally, to help other readers and fans navigate the Commons more easily, and to keep things grounded in community awareness, please do your best to address your comments or posts to the individual(s) you’re responding to, “quoting” their comment in your reply if possible. Also, while we welcome links to resources and online spaces outside the Commons, please do us the courtesy of either providing a link back to the Commons from your website or blog, or setting the link “target” to open in a new window. That way, people can easily find their way back to the Commons if they so desire, and conversations among many members will be easier to follow.

Moderators and administrators for the Meadowsweet Commons will keep an eye on conversations, and members who consistently ignore or grossly violate the spirit of this Comment Policy will be asked to either change their behavior, or leave.