#mensa (Undernet) channel guidelines

Introduction
Welcome to our channel, a safe haven where civility reigns and discourtesy is discouraged.

The ops give high priority to protecting channel members from chat (e.g. insults to channel members, obscenity) that runs counter to that concept.

Topics of conversation
Almost any topic can be discussed in the channel, e.g. computers, travel, food, politics, cars or current events. But often the chat is just witty banter.

Since a range of topics is discussed, the chat cannot be of interest to all visitors at all times. Therefore

• There are no restrictions on idling. If the topic of conversation is of no interest to you, you can safely leave your nick in the channel while you chat in another channel or get on with something in real life. That way you are able to check on the #mensa chat at any time, then join in if it has become interesting to you.

• Any channel member may introduce a new topic, e.g. by posting an opinion, URL or question (has anyone seen movie X?). That can be done even if there is already chat on another topic.

  If there is already chat on another topic and no one responds to your new one, please do not make repeated attempts to start it. You can always try again later when perhaps someone interested in your topic is in the channel.

• Anyone droning on excessively about a topic, with little evidence of interest from others, may be asked to desist.

• Anyone who seems to be in the channel with the principal purpose of preaching to us some particular point of view or creed may be asked to desist. That would include anyone who enters the channel then immediately starts posting political opinions or URLs.

• The ops may ask for a topic to be dropped if they consider that it has been going on for too long. The ops may suggest that those who wish to continue the discussion do that elsewhere, e.g. in private or in #mensa-debate.

Restrictions

• We expect the chat to be kept civil. Chatters do poke fun at each other when they know each other well. But anything beyond that, where a channel participant feels offended, is not permitted. That includes deliberate insults, name calling and verbal harassment.

• Insults or pejorative language targeting the members of a particular race, religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation are not permitted.

• The chat must be kept respectable since we may have minors present. Offensive nicks or user identities are not permitted. Foul language is not permitted.

• We do not permit people to recommend illegal activities, e.g. the taking of recreational drugs that in most countries are illegal.

Queries
Chatters may politely question an action taken by an op as long as the matter does not progress into disruption.

Anyone asking for information about a ban may be told the reason for the ban, which op has set it, and for how for long the ban is expected to last.

You don’t like our channel?
The ops are open to reasonable comments about the way we run our channel, but haranguing them about it, or using a lot of channel time complaining, will earn a warning, kick, or ban, as appropriate.

A chat-room is in some ways like a person’s home into which they invite guests. The ops are under no obligation to provide a venue that suits everyone. If you don't like our channel, please depart and find a channel that suits you better.

If you cannot find one, why not get together with some friends and start a channel of your own? Then you can run it along the lines that you prefer. There is no cost involved.

Who we are
The channel was founded in the mid 1990s by some members of “Mensa”, a society for people with a high IQ.

A good many of the current ops and regulars are members. But we are not affiliated with Mensa and in no way speak for them. The only connection that we have is that a lot of us are members.

You do not need to be a member of Mensa to take part in the channel.

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