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posted by NCommander on Monday May 12 2014, @08:00PM   Printer-friendly
from the #define-soylentnews dept.

You know, this is probably one of the hardest things I've had to write since we went live. My first few attempts just lead to writer's block and frustration, so I tried to take a different tack with this and do it the way I usually do my write-ups for anything; by the seat of my pants. The staff have poked and prodded my early attempts, and I think we're ready to open this up to everyone to add their two cents in as we work towards a final version.

Since we've gone live almost three months ago (yeash, time flies), we've already had our fair share of debates, strife, and conflict, yet at the end of the day we remain operational with an involved community that keeps growing day after day. As I continue my relocation to NH, we're getting scary close to the point we're going to need to start drafting the bylaws and operating principles for this site. One of the pressing questions that have been asked time and time again is, "What will we be?" I'm ready to give you that answer.

Without further ado, let me present the current draft copy of the site manifesto. I'll read through and debate feedback below, and keep refining this until it becomes the defining statement for what SN will be.

SoylentNews Manifesto: Version 0.1

Preamble:

In recent years, many alarming trends have surfaced regarding the free interchange of news and ideas on the internet. The practice of selling users' information for profit, without their approval or even knowledge, has become rampant. People are being prosecuted simply for expressing their opinions. A "Big Brother is Watching" mentality from both state and commercial actors, with universal surveillance now becoming common, has created a chilling effect, preventing people from exercising their rights or speaking up.

Unpopular or unusual views are being actively suppressed, diversity of opinion is too often deemed a problem, and actively restricted, at the whim of corporate and political power.

Too often, the focus upon profit has led to owners forgetting that sites exist for the benefit of their community, and the leadership and staff live to serve that community.

Too often, useful help and input from a site's community is ignored by staff and management who are so out of touch with the very people they serve that they will destroy the support of the community they built, and eventually the business itself.

Statement of Purpose

Our aim is to stand in stalwart opposition to these trends. We will be the best site for independent, not-for-profit journalism on the internet, where ideas can be presented and free discussion can take place without external needs overshadowing the community.

Our Principles

Right to Privacy

We will limit the amount of data collection we do whenever and however we can.

Our user database, and the information in it, is not, and never will be for sale.

Any data collection we do will be done with the consent of the community, and destroyed once we are finished with it.

Any information we collect for legal purposes (i.e., DCMA safe harbor protections) will be destroyed as soon as legally possible.

We will continuously look at ways to shore up users' privacy, including, but not limited to, the tor proxy presently available to our users.

Right of Opinion

Diversity will be respected and encouraged as an important aspect of our community, as groupthink can easily prevent people from seeing other, perhaps better, ideas.

Except as required by law, no one will be banned or have their comments deleted due to stating a fact or opinion, no matter how unpopular or repugnant it is. We will not ban or silence a user for merely stating an opinion.

Freedom of Access

Access to information needs to be available to all members.

We will, to the extent possible, attempt to accommodate members of this site with disabilities, such as those dependent on screen readers.

Content produced by this site shall be available in a format that does not require proprietary or patented software. Non-free methods of access in addition may also be provided for sake of convenience (i.e., a YouTube video)

Freedom from Financial Backers/Handling Advertising

Media can be influenced by those who fund it; to prevent us from becoming slaves to a new overlord, the LibreNews Foundation shall be funded independently by the member sites (such as SoylentNews) which comprise it.

Should fundraising efforts prove insufficient, at the discretion of the staff, we may run advertising on this site in an attempt to supplement income.

No attempt to block access to this site shall be made by those who use ad-blocking software, though we urge such users to subscribe.

Permissions granted by the user to this site shall not extend to other sites (i.e., if you give us permission to email you, we're not going to give anyone else permission to do so).

Third-party media hosted on this on this site shall be limited to a form which is non-distracting, and non-disrupting.

Freedom of Topic

We recognize that the free flow of ideas can only take place in an environment free of taboo subjects.

No topic will be deemed unsuitable for our community to discuss.

Right to Criticize/Right of Reversion

A true community can only exist when communication can flow in both directions.

The right of our community to criticize, make suggestions, and help us improve our site will be respected. No staff or leader will ever be above criticism.

We recognize that mistakes will be made, as we are all human. It is both the right and privilege of others to correct us when needed.

If serious errors are made, we promise to revert them and fix the problems.

 
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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Ray Stantz on Monday May 12 2014, @08:26PM

    by Ray Stantz (3311) on Monday May 12 2014, @08:26PM (#42309)

    Please continue to post something close to news in a slightly less annoying format than Slashdot. The bar is really that low. All this "who are we? what should we be?" crap sounds like a bunch of liberal arts majors at a liberal arts place doing liberal arts stuff. Gross.

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  • (Score: 2) by buswolley on Monday May 12 2014, @08:28PM

    by buswolley (848) on Monday May 12 2014, @08:28PM (#42310)

    Are you trying to make something taboo????!!

    Yer kicked out, yo!

    --
    subicular junctures
  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 12 2014, @09:07PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 12 2014, @09:07PM (#42338)

    Amen. They're in too deep to stop now though.

  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by Ethanol-fueled on Monday May 12 2014, @09:19PM

    by Ethanol-fueled (2792) on Monday May 12 2014, @09:19PM (#42345) Homepage

    In case you haven't noticed, the press in the United States is no longer free. If it is not beholden to corporate interests, it is beholden to Government interests.

    Even Slashdot, which was proud of its tolerance of free speech and lack of censorship, succumbed. That's the number-one reason why we're all here. Small independent media is now the only source of news in the United States that the big guys are unwilling to share.

    Soylent News is only the beginning. And I wouldn't call it "liberal arts," I'd call it "libertarian" without the religious fundamental connotations which often accompany that phrase.

    Oh shit, I was trolled again. Dammit.

    • (Score: 3, Informative) by NCommander on Tuesday May 13 2014, @12:00AM

      by NCommander (2) Subscriber Badge <michael@casadevall.pro> on Tuesday May 13 2014, @12:00AM (#42421) Homepage Journal

      This is a large portion why I want to slowly begin to move us towards original journalism vs. the current model, and why the financial independence section exists in the manifesto. Its going to be a long and slow journey, but I want to get us there, bit by bit.

      --
      Still always moving
      • (Score: 2) by Reziac on Tuesday May 13 2014, @02:33AM

        by Reziac (2489) on Tuesday May 13 2014, @02:33AM (#42498) Homepage

        A good goal, tho one must be wary of the disguised self-promotion, which often bit original stories on Slashdot. Of course, an editor's job is to peel those out before they hit the front page.

        On the other side, perhaps once there are subscriptions in place, sub points (say equal to a buck apiece) could be awarded to folks whose original journalism efforts are accepted.

        As to the manifesto, I am glad to see that it sticks to basic points and simple language (and I don't have any specific objections). -- If you try to address every possible case, you wind up creating more corner cases than you fix.

        --
        And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
  • (Score: -1) by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 12 2014, @09:46PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday May 12 2014, @09:46PM (#42355)

    It might be because your #3311 is too high to be part of the *we

  • (Score: 2) by NCommander on Monday May 12 2014, @11:40PM

    by NCommander (2) Subscriber Badge <michael@casadevall.pro> on Monday May 12 2014, @11:40PM (#42413) Homepage Journal

    Once we have nexuses setup (hopefully next major release), you can filter out "meta" in the control panel.

    --
    Still always moving
  • (Score: 2) by Tork on Tuesday May 13 2014, @05:42AM

    by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday May 13 2014, @05:42AM (#42545)
    Please continue to post something close to an intelligent on-topic reply to the article at hand. All this "liberal arts majors at a liberal arts place doing liberal arts stuff" crap sounds like a whiny adult living in his parents basement beating off to pictures of Leia in a bikini. Gross.
    --
    🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
    • (Score: 1) by Ray Stantz on Tuesday May 13 2014, @03:20PM

      by Ray Stantz (3311) on Tuesday May 13 2014, @03:20PM (#42761)

      I'm proud to carry on that nerd tradition. I was hoping soylentnews would carry on the tradition of an aggregate news source for nerds (leia bikini beater offers if you will), but it sounds like NCommander has other ideas.

      • (Score: 2) by Tork on Tuesday May 13 2014, @03:31PM

        by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday May 13 2014, @03:31PM (#42767)
        Your sense of proportion is mis-aligned.
        --
        🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
        • (Score: 1) by Ray Stantz on Tuesday May 13 2014, @06:59PM

          by Ray Stantz (3311) on Tuesday May 13 2014, @06:59PM (#42853)

          Is it? What do you hope to get out of soylentnews?

          • (Score: 2) by Tork on Tuesday May 13 2014, @08:49PM

            by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday May 13 2014, @08:49PM (#42905)
            Let's just say them taking the time to fill us in on their goals for this community didn't put me in a dress to complain about the state of my panties.
            --
            🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
            • (Score: 1) by Ray Stantz on Tuesday May 13 2014, @11:04PM

              by Ray Stantz (3311) on Tuesday May 13 2014, @11:04PM (#42960)

              Am I wearing the dress before or after the princess leia thing?

              • (Score: 2) by Tork on Tuesday May 13 2014, @11:10PM

                by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Tuesday May 13 2014, @11:10PM (#42961)
                So what mood did you say you were in when you wrote about this on LiveJournal?
                --
                🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
                • (Score: 1) by Ray Stantz on Wednesday May 14 2014, @12:36AM

                  by Ray Stantz (3311) on Wednesday May 14 2014, @12:36AM (#42985)

                  Melancholy. Cause I can't figure out what I did to make my #1 best internet buddy Tork so cross with me. Was it that I posted an opinion? Took a shot at the liberal arts? Is it because of the dress wearing thing? I could probably meet you half way and wear kilts. But you have to call me Wee Hamish from now on.

                  • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday May 14 2014, @12:59AM

                    by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday May 14 2014, @12:59AM (#42996)
                    It sure is a good thing you came to a place to be all emotional about your objection to a website being all emotional!
                    --
                    🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
                    • (Score: 1) by Ray Stantz on Wednesday May 14 2014, @01:50AM

                      by Ray Stantz (3311) on Wednesday May 14 2014, @01:50AM (#43017)

                      Oh you loveable rascal! Your logic is irrefutable. As is customary on the internet I congratulate you on your good intentioned and well thought out argument and respectfully bow out of this discussion.

                      • (Score: 2) by Tork on Wednesday May 14 2014, @01:55AM

                        by Tork (3914) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday May 14 2014, @01:55AM (#43020)
                        What a great time to bring up that you're interested in everybody showing logic and well thought out logic but you. If I were a terrible lyricist I would call that irony.
                        --
                        🏳️‍🌈 Proud Ally 🏳️‍🌈
                  • (Score: 1) by GeminiDomino on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:39PM

                    by GeminiDomino (661) on Thursday June 05 2014, @03:39PM (#51747)

                    I thought it was Mad Hamish?

                    --
                    "We've been attacked by the intelligent, educated segment of our culture"