*THREAD*

There's a community of interactive fiction writers that's shrinking today and it's because of a lack of community leadership. One member did some super racist stuff, and everyone had to decide where they stood, including the group founder. 1/8

The only authority derived from the group founder and the loudest members. The founder abdicated their role, so it just became an argument between a racism apologist and several anti-racists, most of whom eventually had enough and left the group. 2/8

This could have been avoided if the founder of the group had laid down a code of conduct and told everyone that defense of racist acts would not be tolerated in the group. 3/8

If you start a community, even a small one, and it succeeds and grows, there will come a day when you have to acknowledge that you are in charge, or officially appoint moderators with the authority to lead the ethos of the group. 4/8

If you want your group to thrive then you will need to determine a code of conduct listing behaviors you want in the group, and behaviors you will not allow. Otherwise the group will wither, or get taken over by privileged bigots. 5/8

This moment happens to every community at some point. It defines the future of the community. This is the world we live in. This is a truth of our species at this point in history. 6/8

There is no such thing as an opt-in community that is successfully inclusive of both oppressors and oppressed people, nor can there be a community that is inclusive of both racism apologists and anti-racists. Including one necessarily excludes the other, by definition. 7/8

Pick one, and say so, or you fail as a community leader. This is just how it is. You don't have to like it, but if you value the community you have built and wish it to continue to succeed sans douchebags, you have to step up, pick a side, and enumerate and enforce the rules. 8/8