Preamble

HelloMinds is a topic‑first home for meaningful live exchange — from classes, workshops,Q&As, and podcasts to meetings, get‑to‑know mingles, debates, co‑learning, co‑teaching, and community building. We believe the environment shapes behavior: with clear norms, fair tools, and steady moderation, diverse people can learn and teach, network, share knowledge and perspectives, and disagree well without fear or fame games. Our aim is useful time with other minds — respectful, safe, and productive — centered on constructive content that moves humanity forward.

Mission

To host small, well‑moderated video rooms where people learn, teach, and debate ideas — not identities — and co‑create knowledge calmly, safely, and constructively. Rooms can scale when needed — especially for lectures, town‑halls, panels, Q&As, and podcasts.

Room Size Guidance — "Small by Default, Scalable by Design"

Why small rooms? Clearer audio flow, less cross‑talk, lower cognitive load, and more inclusive turn‑taking. Signal over noise: Easier moderation, higher speaking quality, better focus, and fewer pile‑ons. Coziness & trust: People feel safer to share perspectives and ask questions. Not a hard rule: Larger rooms are welcome for lectures, town‑halls, Q&As, panels, and podcasts; discovery/tools (queues, timers, slow‑mode) keep scale orderly.

Core Values

• Civility & Calm — Heated ≠ hostile; dignity for everyone.
• Idea‑First Debate — Critique arguments, not people; steelman first.
• Reality over Theater — No trolling, brigading, or performative victimhood.
• Privacy & Consent — Privacy by default; explicit consent for recording/sharing.
• Inclusivity with Boundaries — Diverse views within lawful, clearly stated red lines.
• Accountability — Hosts lead; community signals; admins backstop; logs kept.
• Learning & Contribution — Add value, stay on topic, respect time.
• Minority Voice Protection — Evidence over numbers; no herd pile‑ons.

Guiding Principles (10 one‑liners)

1. Debate ideas, not people.
2. Assume good faith; ask before accusing.
3. No personal attacks; critique claims precisely.
4. Stay on topic; add value.
5. Evidence over volume; one good source > loud chorus.
6. Respect time — queues, fair turns, optional timers.
7. Consent before recording — labels, watermarks, access controls.
8. No brigades or pile‑ons — coordinated pressure is misconduct.
9. Hosts lead; rules apply to all.
10. Transparency with an appeal path.

Roles & Responsibilities

Shared responsibility: Everyone helps set a healthy vibe.

Hosts — Define purpose/scope; model civility; manage queue; enforce rules; use tools fairly. Earn Host Badges via consistent quality; inactivity decays rank; private rooms don't count.

Participants — Listen first; cite when possible; contribute clearly; no spam or personal attacks.

Audience — Observe respectfully; use reactions/raise‑hand; report with evidence only.

Moderators/Admins — Support hosts; resolve escalations; keep transparent logs; protect due process.

Room Conduct Standards (Do / Don't)

Reporting Integrity & Anti‑Pile‑On

• Aggression = behavior, not disagreement (insults, threats, doxxing, targeted harassment, sexual exploitation).
• Not aggression: Asking for sources, challenging claims, moderating for relevance.
• Aggressor/Victim theatrics: Performative provocation or performative harm‑claiming to sway moderation violates the ethos and will be penalized when patterned.
• Evidence over numbers: One well‑evidenced report can be enough; report volume ≠ truth.
• Anti‑brigading: Coordinated reports or mass reactions to silence a viewpoint are prohibited; patterns trigger throttling and penalties.
• Herd accountability: Collective incivility may result in group mutes, reaction throttles, room freeze, or room suspension.
• Case flow: Host triage → community stance (light poll/log) → admin review with audit trail.
• Evidence Clip: Short, watermarked, time‑coded clip (~15s before/after); access‑controlled; 30‑day retention unless escalated.

Speech & Content Boundaries

• Illegal content: removed globally.
• Harm rules: targeted harassment, credible threats, doxxing, sexual exploitation → immediate action.
• Sensitive topics: labeled; age‑gates apply (16+; 18+ for explicit).
• Low‑value bait: allowed but de‑prioritized; hosts nudged toward constructive scopes.

Reputation & Recognition

• Host Badges & Stars: experience, peer ratings, and rule adherence; public and earned.
• Decay & resets: 12‑month rolling window; inactivity drops one tier; private rooms excluded.
• Community reputation: pattern‑sensitive; sustained civility accelerates trust; abuse slows it.

Safety & Enforcement Ladder

Warn → mute/kick → temporary ban → permanent ban (with rationale). Each step timestamped; users notified; appeal window: 7 days for temp/perma actions. Repeat or severe offenses may skip steps.

Identity, Presence & Trust

• Real presence encouraged: real names and camera‑on foster trust.
• Legitimate exceptions respected: privacy, safety, bandwidth. Habitual anonymity may limit trust and room access (host discretion within rules).

Monetization & Conflicts

• Host‑pays baseline; optional tips or per‑seat tickets; sponsor rooms clearly labeled.
• No pay‑to‑silence: monetization never overrides safety or speech rules.
• Disclosure: Hosts disclose material connections when promoting products/services.

Accessibility & Inclusion

• Host‑set room language; filterable discovery; cross‑language welcome.
• Low‑bandwidth modes supported; captions/transcripts expanding.
• Clear visual hierarchy; readable UI; keyboard & screen‑reader friendly patterns.

Algorithmic Transparency & AI

• Discovery favors civility, participation quality, host reliability, and topical match.
• Anti‑mob weighting: suspicious bursts (likes/reports) are down‑weighted and reviewed.
• AI tools (transcripts, summaries, safety assists) are opt‑in and clearly labeled.