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Every community has structure, rules, and processes. Most of it stays invisible until you run into it. Let's make it visible—how digital.forum actually operates behind the scenes.
Community Structure
Founder-led with community input: This started as one person's project but grows with member contributions. Not democracy, not dictatorship—benevolent leadership with open feedback.
Subforums by topic: Organized into major categories (AI Art, Resources, Research, etc.) with specific subforums under each. Structure keeps discussions organized and discoverable.
Open participation: No approval needed to post or comment. Trust first, moderate problems as they arise rather than pre-screening everything.
Volunteer moderation: As community grows, trusted members help moderate. Not paid positions—community service by people who care about keeping this place healthy.
Content Guidelines
What belongs here:
Anything related to building with AI, digital creativity, learning resources, collaboration, sharing work, discussing industry trends, research, tools, and community.
Off-topic stuff in designated spaces (Community Lounge). Related tangents in main discussions are fine if they add value.
What doesn't belong:
****, self-promotion without value, plagiarism, harassment, illegal content, *******, doxxing, hate speech.
Low-effort posts that waste everyone's time. "Thoughts?" with no substance. "This" as entire comment. Pure engagement bait.
Quality over quantity: Better to post one valuable thing than ten mediocre things.
Moderation Philosophy
Light touch by default: Most content stays up. Trust members to self-regulate through voting and discussion.
Clear violations get removed: ****, harassment, illegal content, clear rule violations. No warnings needed for obvious problems.
Gray areas get discussion: When it's unclear, err toward leaving it up. Communicate with poster about concerns.
Consistency matters: Same rules for everyone. No special treatment, no favoritism.
Explanation when reasonable: If something's removed, explain why when it's not obvious. Help people learn the boundaries.
Ban policy: Last resort. Warnings first for most issues. Permanent bans for serious violations (harassment, **** bots, repeated rules violations after warnings).
Voting and Visibility
Upvotes and downvotes signal what community finds valuable. This affects visibility but doesn't hide content completely.
Quality signals: Well-researched posts, helpful answers, valuable resources, thoughtful discussions—these should rise.
Discouraged content: Low-effort, off-topic, misleading, hostile—downvote these.
Don't downvote disagreement: Downvote poor quality, not different opinions. Good-faith disagreement enriches discussion.
Reporting and Flags
When to report:
How to report: Flag button on posts/comments. Include brief explanation of the issue.
What happens: Moderators review flags. Take action if warranted. False reports ignored.
Don't *****: Reporting content you simply disagree with wastes moderator time.
Privacy and Safety
Personal information: Don't share others' private information. Your own information at your own risk.
Account security: Use strong unique password. Enable two-factor authentication if available.
DMs and private contact: Block or report harassment. You're never obligated to respond to DMs.
External links: Exercise caution. We can't verify safety of every linked site.
Conflict Resolution
Disagreements happen. How to handle them:
Assume good faith: Most people aren't trying to be jerks. Misunderstandings are common.
Clarify before escalating: Ask questions. Often conflicts dissolve with better communication.
Agree to disagree: Not everything needs resolution. Sometimes you just have different perspectives.
Disengage if necessary: Walk away from unproductive arguments. No need to have the last word.
Report genuine problems: If someone's being abusive, report it. Don't try to handle it yourself.
Community Features
Post formatting: Markdown supported. Use it for readability—headers, lists, code blocks, links.
Code sharing: Use code blocks. Specify language for syntax highlighting.
Image embedding: Upload or link images. Keep file sizes reasonable.
Tagging: Use relevant tags. They help people find content.
Search: Use search before posting common questions. Might already be answered.
Notifications: Configure what you want to be notified about. Don't let it become overwhelming.
Growing Responsibly
Quality over size: Bigger isn't always better. Healthy community culture matters more than member count.
Onboarding new members: Help newcomers understand how things work. Point to guidelines, answer questions, model good behavior.
Preventing eternal September: Influx of new members can dilute culture. Active members set tone, newcomers follow.
Scaling moderation: As community grows, need more moderators. Recruit from trusted active members.
Evolution and Change
Communities aren't static. What works at 100 members might not work at 10,000.
Structure adjustments: New subforums when topics get big enough. Merging when they're too fragmented.
Policy refinements: Rules that seemed clear become ambiguous in edge cases. Clarify as needed.
Feature additions: New tools and capabilities based on member needs and requests.
Cultural evolution: Early community culture shapes long-term culture. Protect what makes this place special while adapting to growth.
Member Contributions
Content creation: Posts, comments, resources, guides, tutorials. Core value comes from members.
Curation: Upvoting, sharing, recommending. Help good content surface.
Helping others: Answering questions, providing feedback, sharing knowledge.
Feedback: Suggestions for improvements, reporting problems, participating in discussions about community direction.
Moderation: Flagging rule violations, setting good example, helping new members.
Recognition: Valuable contributors deserve recognition. This can be formal (badges, flair) or informal (appreciation, respect).
Sustainability
Communities require ongoing effort. Someone needs to:
Current model: Founder-led with volunteer help. May evolve over time.
Future considerations: If this grows significantly, might need more formal structure, more moderators, possibly paid admin support.
Funding: Currently self-funded. Future might involve sponsorships, memberships, or other models. Any monetization will be transparent and community-aligned.
Your Role
You make this community what it is. Post valuable content, engage thoughtfully, help others, follow guidelines, provide feedback.
This isn't a service you consume passively. It's a community you participate in actively. The more you put in, the more valuable it becomes for everyone.
Questions about how things work? Ask. Suggestions for improvements? Share them. Problems with community direction? Discuss them.
Transparency works both ways—we're open about how things run, you're engaged in making it work.
Community Structure
Founder-led with community input: This started as one person's project but grows with member contributions. Not democracy, not dictatorship—benevolent leadership with open feedback.
Subforums by topic: Organized into major categories (AI Art, Resources, Research, etc.) with specific subforums under each. Structure keeps discussions organized and discoverable.
Open participation: No approval needed to post or comment. Trust first, moderate problems as they arise rather than pre-screening everything.
Volunteer moderation: As community grows, trusted members help moderate. Not paid positions—community service by people who care about keeping this place healthy.
Content Guidelines
What belongs here:
Anything related to building with AI, digital creativity, learning resources, collaboration, sharing work, discussing industry trends, research, tools, and community.
Off-topic stuff in designated spaces (Community Lounge). Related tangents in main discussions are fine if they add value.
What doesn't belong:
****, self-promotion without value, plagiarism, harassment, illegal content, *******, doxxing, hate speech.
Low-effort posts that waste everyone's time. "Thoughts?" with no substance. "This" as entire comment. Pure engagement bait.
Quality over quantity: Better to post one valuable thing than ten mediocre things.
Moderation Philosophy
Light touch by default: Most content stays up. Trust members to self-regulate through voting and discussion.
Clear violations get removed: ****, harassment, illegal content, clear rule violations. No warnings needed for obvious problems.
Gray areas get discussion: When it's unclear, err toward leaving it up. Communicate with poster about concerns.
Consistency matters: Same rules for everyone. No special treatment, no favoritism.
Explanation when reasonable: If something's removed, explain why when it's not obvious. Help people learn the boundaries.
Ban policy: Last resort. Warnings first for most issues. Permanent bans for serious violations (harassment, **** bots, repeated rules violations after warnings).
Voting and Visibility
Upvotes and downvotes signal what community finds valuable. This affects visibility but doesn't hide content completely.
Quality signals: Well-researched posts, helpful answers, valuable resources, thoughtful discussions—these should rise.
Discouraged content: Low-effort, off-topic, misleading, hostile—downvote these.
Don't downvote disagreement: Downvote poor quality, not different opinions. Good-faith disagreement enriches discussion.
Reporting and Flags
When to report:
- **** or self-promotion
- Harassment or personal attacks
- Illegal content
- Plagiarism or content theft
- Clear rules violations
How to report: Flag button on posts/comments. Include brief explanation of the issue.
What happens: Moderators review flags. Take action if warranted. False reports ignored.
Don't *****: Reporting content you simply disagree with wastes moderator time.
Privacy and Safety
Personal information: Don't share others' private information. Your own information at your own risk.
Account security: Use strong unique password. Enable two-factor authentication if available.
DMs and private contact: Block or report harassment. You're never obligated to respond to DMs.
External links: Exercise caution. We can't verify safety of every linked site.
Conflict Resolution
Disagreements happen. How to handle them:
Assume good faith: Most people aren't trying to be jerks. Misunderstandings are common.
Clarify before escalating: Ask questions. Often conflicts dissolve with better communication.
Agree to disagree: Not everything needs resolution. Sometimes you just have different perspectives.
Disengage if necessary: Walk away from unproductive arguments. No need to have the last word.
Report genuine problems: If someone's being abusive, report it. Don't try to handle it yourself.
Community Features
Post formatting: Markdown supported. Use it for readability—headers, lists, code blocks, links.
Code sharing: Use code blocks. Specify language for syntax highlighting.
Image embedding: Upload or link images. Keep file sizes reasonable.
Tagging: Use relevant tags. They help people find content.
Search: Use search before posting common questions. Might already be answered.
Notifications: Configure what you want to be notified about. Don't let it become overwhelming.
Growing Responsibly
Quality over size: Bigger isn't always better. Healthy community culture matters more than member count.
Onboarding new members: Help newcomers understand how things work. Point to guidelines, answer questions, model good behavior.
Preventing eternal September: Influx of new members can dilute culture. Active members set tone, newcomers follow.
Scaling moderation: As community grows, need more moderators. Recruit from trusted active members.
Evolution and Change
Communities aren't static. What works at 100 members might not work at 10,000.
Structure adjustments: New subforums when topics get big enough. Merging when they're too fragmented.
Policy refinements: Rules that seemed clear become ambiguous in edge cases. Clarify as needed.
Feature additions: New tools and capabilities based on member needs and requests.
Cultural evolution: Early community culture shapes long-term culture. Protect what makes this place special while adapting to growth.
Member Contributions
Content creation: Posts, comments, resources, guides, tutorials. Core value comes from members.
Curation: Upvoting, sharing, recommending. Help good content surface.
Helping others: Answering questions, providing feedback, sharing knowledge.
Feedback: Suggestions for improvements, reporting problems, participating in discussions about community direction.
Moderation: Flagging rule violations, setting good example, helping new members.
Recognition: Valuable contributors deserve recognition. This can be formal (badges, flair) or informal (appreciation, respect).
Sustainability
Communities require ongoing effort. Someone needs to:
- Moderate content
- Handle technical issues
- Update and improve features
- Make policy decisions
- Resolve conflicts
- Welcome new members
- Maintain community culture
Current model: Founder-led with volunteer help. May evolve over time.
Future considerations: If this grows significantly, might need more formal structure, more moderators, possibly paid admin support.
Funding: Currently self-funded. Future might involve sponsorships, memberships, or other models. Any monetization will be transparent and community-aligned.
Your Role
You make this community what it is. Post valuable content, engage thoughtfully, help others, follow guidelines, provide feedback.
This isn't a service you consume passively. It's a community you participate in actively. The more you put in, the more valuable it becomes for everyone.
Questions about how things work? Ask. Suggestions for improvements? Share them. Problems with community direction? Discuss them.
Transparency works both ways—we're open about how things run, you're engaged in making it work.