ScalableC

Guidelines

Welcome to the ScalableC Guidelines section.

Guidelines are not the same as terms of service. By guidelines we mean a number of ways of positive behaviour, through which we can maximize collaboration. Because of social software, most of us are familiar with sharing. Collaboration, however, means that you, and others like you, are voluntarily devoting your time and resources towards a common goal. And collaboration is one of the key design goals of ScalableC. Here, we aim to create an active platform for collaborating on ideas of importance. This translates into large-scale efforts on the part of everyone involved.

The Web has opened up a new dimension through which collaboration can be made much easier. Yet, as pointed out in Collaborative Futures, simply using technical mechanisms to coordinate the process of collaboration does not provide a complete solution. We must have something like a "social contract"that ensures that the social fabric of this online community is kept unharmed. For a collaborative system to be sustainable, the importance of this component is immense.

Understanding and following the design goals of ScalableC is more important than simply trying to follow lists of rules: if the concepts of collaboration, of including the community, and of respecting the context are understood, then evaluating an action is the light of these goals may be more useful than trying to search for specific guidelines. Still, below are some simple pointers to help maintain the trust and the motivation that a collaborative platform requires. Inspired mostly by the Wikipedia guidelines section, they aim to produce an atmosphere conducive to collaboration.

Etiquette guidelines

• The Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like them to treat you
• As the Wikipedia project puts it, "treating others with respect is the key to collaborating effectively ". It must be remembered that the people who are working together can come from different countries and cultures. What may be acceptable in one culture may not in another.
• For a similar reason, the use of irony or other non-direct forms of criticism should be avoided, as people whose first language is not English may not be able to understand them. The aim is to work collaboratively together.
• No personal attacks. Discuss facts and not personalities.
• Criticism should be constructive and polite
• We believe that whatever is worth saying or writing can be done without resort to profanity.

Content Guidelines

• ScalableC is not a discussion forum or a general-purpose video sharing site. Inappropriate content will be removed
• Any content, whether video, audio or text, should be labeled appropriately.
• Verifiability is desired. If a claim is being made, it should preferably cite sources.
• Discussions on the forums should stay on topic
• It is preferable to avoid SMS language. Too many SMS abbreviations decrease the readability of text. It should be remembered that readers from various fields may not be familiar with these.

The above is of course not a comprehensive list of all the characteristics that constitute desired behaviour,where desired behaviour simply means behaviour that contributes positively to collaboration, conflict resolution and clarity. However, it serves as a beginning as we seek to scale collaboration over ideas which can tackle large challenges

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