Introduction
Our Community Guidelines serve as the foundation for creating Spaces where individuals can come together to heal, grow, and support each other. The guidelines are here to promote respect within the community so that each member can get the most out of our Spaces.
Failure to adhere to these guidelines can result in suspension and permanent removal from the platform.
List of community guidelines
1. Privacy
In Totem, trust is key. We value sharing personal stories, but emphasize safeguarding privacy. Although open communication is encouraged, sharing personal information is not. A lack of privacy stifles authenticity, the very thing our community is striving to cultivate.
Examples of what not to do:
- Reveal the identities of community members
- Record Spaces
- Create posts on social media containing information on members without consent
2. Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment refers to the occurrence of unwelcome and inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature within our digital platform. The blatant lack of respect inherent in sexual harassment has a high likely-hood of causing trauma to the victim. Sexual harassment has no place in Totem. Totem is not a dating site.
Unwanted sexual conduct includes, but is not limited to:
- Explicit comments
- Sexual advances
- Requests for intimate photos
- Sharing explicit content without consent
- Communication with sexual overtones
- Bullying - intimidation, threats, or humiliation targeted at an individual based on their gender or perceived sexuality
- Nudity
- Unwelcomed sexually suggestive jokes
For more information on how to identify sexual harassment, please visit un.org’s page on sexual harassment.
3. Hate Speech
Totem will not tolerate conduct that offends or insults based on race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. Hate speech undermines the respect we aim to promote for different perspectives.
Hate speech includes, but is not limited to:
- Derogatory terms based on race, ethnicity, gender, etc.
- Insensitive comments on mental health
- Stereotyping
- Online harassment such as threats or stalking
- Sharing content associated with discrimination
- Disrespectful language
- Personal attacks
- Disrespecting boundaries
For more information on how to identify hate speech, please visit un.org’s page on hate speech
4. Cross-talking, giving advice and diagnosing
Support through storytelling provides more benefits than giving advice. At Totem, our intention is to share our own experiences without projecting perspectives onto other people. Others are free to take lessons as they want. Telling others specifically what to do removes their agency.
Examples include:
- Talking when not in possession of the talking piece
- Unwelcomed commenting on someone else’s share
- Suggesting a mentoring or coaching session
- Offering psychological diagnoses
- Providing medical or mental health advice
5. Solicitation
The promotion of goods, services, or products to members of the Totem community is prohibited. The intrusiveness of unwelcome solicitation can be traumatic or distressing for individuals.
Examples of solicitation include, but are not limited to:
- Promoting your business in Spaces
- Using your time in Spaces to find clients
- Obtaining contact information for the purpose of promoting goods, products, or services
- Spam
- Profiting off of participants
- Encouraging Totem members to join your community
6. No Shows
In the context of Spaces, a no show is the failure to attend a previously registered Space without providing a 24-hour advance notice. The benefits derived from Spaces are proportional to the effort invested. When you don't show up, you miss the chance to receive the support offered by your peers. Simultaneously, your absence diminishes the potential contributions you could make to support your peers.
Multiple no shows may result in removal from the platform.
If you have any questions about our Community Guidelines, do not hesitate to contact us at help@totem.org