[About the team at [@OccupyWallStNYC] and how to join. Please review this page and apply at the end. This document is intended to be a public document for all to see how we work! #TheWholeWorldIsWatching]
Basics
New contributors are added by the guidelines set forth here as presented by the contributors.
Contributors are removed if they are found to have violated the rules set forth here or voted out of the group based on the consensus method laid out herein.
Mission
The mission of @OccupyWallStNYC is to create and disseminate as much high-quality anti-capitalist material as effectively as possible through Twitter.
To this end, @OccupyWallStNYC has guidelines for admitting and maintaining contributors.
Modified Consensus
We use modified consensus to make decisions.
Everyone at a meeting and on the listserv can participate in the decision-making process, but no one is allowed to block a decision at their first meeting.
When a motion is proposed, everyone can propose friendly amendments.
When all friendly amendments have been made, people can support, not vote, stand aside, or block.
A stand aside indicates that you do not like the proposal and will not participate but that you do not dislike it so much that you are willing to block it.
If ⅓ of the group stands aside, this counts as a block, and the group will not go forward with the proposal unless it is amended to satisfy the group.
If more than three individuals block a proposal, the group will also not go forward unless it is amended to satisfy the group.
A block indicates that if the group goes forward with the decision, you will no longer participate in the group.
If someone blocks, the group must hear this person's concerns and consider further amendments up to three times, but no more than three times.
These rules are open to further amendments at all meetings and on the listserve.
This is a living document.
Grounds for immediate removal
If you post publicly about internal discussions from the tweetship, you will immediately be removed as a member.
Editors will write according to anti-oppression principles. Violation of this rule will be grounds for immediate removal from the team.
All editors must post at least 5x a week.
Unless editors tell the group that they will be offline for an amount of time, they must post at least 5x a week.
Engaging in a live tweet event will give that/those editor/s a break for a week of their choosing.
Editors should inform the group if they need to take time off and for how long.
At least 50% of the material from each editor should be original. RTs are encouraged but should not be the bulk of the material sent through the handle.
Tweetship members agree not to RT their personal handles all the time. Once in a while, fine, more than 5% of your total material will be an actionable violation.
No more than 10% of one editor’s RTs over the course of a month, should be from one particular handle.
Any personal attacks towards members in the listserv will not be tolerated. Only violations to rules will be discussed.
Applying to write on the handle
Individuals can apply to be a contributor to @OccupyWallStNYC by filling out the form at the bottom of this page.
As people apply, their twitter handles will be added to a public spreadsheet available [here].
Applications will be reviewed in the order they are submitted.
Applicants must reveal their real identities to the team. If applicants are not transparent with the team in this regard, they are automatically disqualified.
The current volunteer contributors to @OccupyWallStNYC will review at least 10 applicants per month.
Every applicant will be [rated] based on the following criteria, and their scores will be recorded in corresponding cells on a [public application spreadsheet] in a 1-10 point format.
How frequently the applicant posts anti-capitalist content to twitter.
What percentage of their posts are anti-capitalist content.
How strong their anti-capitalist content is, as measured by twitter reach.
How much original anti-capitalist content they create (i.e. photos from actions, memes generated, etc).
How few typos their tweets contain.
Automatic disqualifications, also to be recorded on a [public spreadsheet]:
Any pro-capitalist tweet.
Any misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic, or racist tweets.
Any tweets aimed at defaming fellow anti-capitalist activists or collective members.
If the applicant is presently engaged in a lawsuit against the handle and its collective.
On the first of every month, the two applicants with the highest scores on the spreadsheet will be invited to contribute to @OccupyWallStNYC, and their applications will be removed from the spreadsheet.
The number of contributors will always be odd and never exceed 29.
At least 53% of contributors at any time will be comprised of people who identify as female or trans, and selections from the list will be made to maintain that minimum (i.e. people who identify as male will be skipped over if selecting them would violate this rule).
At least 52% of contributors at any time will be people of color, and selections from the list will be made to maintain that minimum. (IBID)
Everyone who is not selected will remain on the spreadsheet in the event that they become one of the two highest scoring applicants for future months as people are selected, unless they ask to be removed.
Before being given tweetdeck access, new contributors must read, agree to, and sign the following existing rules for using the account and communicating on the list serve.
Basic Rules
Material should be written from a solid anti-capitalist perspective.
There are enough “liberal” twitter handles, this is occupy, act like it.
Quarterly meetings are mandatory. If you don’t make it to a meeting (without communication) you are suspended from writing for one month.
Monthly Google hangouts are optional but strongly encouraged.
Organizational twitter handle is for organization (movement). Keep it relevant to our followers. Avoid “I” statements (**except** when being arrested, when you can tweet in 1st person all you want!).
Writers on the handle are trusted to write, if questionable material is published, all members are empowered to send the tweet to the group for discussion and majority vote for removal or removal with reposted edit.
Members are encouraged to make any needed copyedits by deleting the the tweet and reposting.
Please use proper grammar, spelling.
Don’t feed the trolls - let haters with few followers remain haters with few followers. Don’t give them a platform by RT’ing/replying.
Don’t spread fear. If there is chaos/uncertainty, wait first (and find out!) before tweeting.
Be in communication with other co-tweeters, often, by text, by Google hangout, by Conversations in Hootsuite, by phone calls.
If you suspect the twitter handle is compromised, immediately notify each other.
Use handles at the end of DM’s.
Listserv Etiquette
Show respect for fellow tweetshipers at all times. Dissent is encouraged, personal attacks are not.
Accountability Process
Rotated responsibility on weekly analytics reporting.
Coming Aboard
When a new member is brought aboard the tweetship, they are added to the [Tweetship Discussion Google Group], and added to Hootsuite account with what is called “Editor” permissions.
When a new member enters the group, he/she is assigned an experienced veteran sponsor to help them train and learn the ways of the ship. The sponsor is responsible for introducing the new member to the tweetShip rules and procedures. Tweets are allowed to be published immediately.
If you think you are ready to become a memeber of Tweetship, please apply: http://bit.ly/ApplyToTweetship