Community guidelines
SoTalk is built for social projects and competition teams. These guidelines keep collaboration reliable: clear expectations, respectful communication, and a safer matching environment.
Clarity beats charisma
Write for understanding, not hype. A clear scope, timeline, and success criteria help the right people opt in — and everyone else opt out early.
Commitment is a promise
Be honest about time availability. Social projects fail when expectations are implicit. Treat schedules, deadlines, and responsibilities as shared agreements.
Respect & responsiveness
No ghosting. If priorities change, communicate early. Leaders should acknowledge applications and provide decisions within a reasonable time window.
Safety and privacy first
Don’t request or share sensitive personal data publicly. Move to private channels only after basic alignment, and only share what’s necessary.
Posting a project: what good looks like
Include these essentials
- Mission + context (what’s happening and why it matters)
- Outcome definition (what “done” means in 2–6 weeks)
- Roles needed (skills, responsibilities, and constraints)
- Commitment level (hours/week, meeting rhythm, timezone expectations)
- Workflow (tools used, decision owner, and first milestone)
Avoid these patterns
- Vague posts: “Looking for passionate people” with no scope or deliverables
- Misleading titles: “Co-founder” for short volunteer tasks
- Unclear ownership: no decision maker, no next step, no timeline
- Pressure tactics: guilt-driven messaging or unrealistic urgency
Applying to join: set a strong baseline
Share practical info
- Your availability (hours/week + weeks you may be unavailable)
- Relevant experience (examples, links, or short case studies)
- Your preferred role boundaries (what you will/won’t do)
- Communication comfort (async vs meetings, language preferences)
Commitment etiquette
- If you accept, show up for the first milestone. Early drop-offs hurt teams the most.
- If you can’t continue, notify the leader quickly and hand over progress.
- Don’t apply to everything. Apply to what you can realistically finish.
Trust, verification, and reporting
Verification is for trust, not status
Verification can help teams feel safer when moving into private collaboration. It does not guarantee outcomes — it simply reduces uncertainty around identity and intent.
When to report
- Spam, scams, or suspicious links
- Harassment, discrimination, or coercion
- Requests for sensitive personal data
- Repeated ghosting patterns or abusive behavior
What happens after a report
- We review context and may request clarifying details.
- Actions can include warnings, temporary restrictions, or removal.
- Severe cases may be escalated for manual investigation.
Why this matters
Social initiatives often fail for predictable reasons: unclear scope, mismatched availability, and poor follow-through. Guidelines act like a shared contract that keeps collaboration respectful — and makes matching more reliable.
Decision rule
If a post or message would confuse a motivated stranger, rewrite it until it becomes specific, measurable, and respectful.
Response expectations
- Leaders: acknowledge applications and set a review timeline.
- Applicants: confirm availability before accepting a role.
- Both: communicate changes early; don’t disappear.