Love Your Neighbor

I swear this is my last post on the subject. I promise.

This weekend, I heard many stories about "Community" and how valuable it is, how adorable it is, and how much its cherished. I too agree. Community is a wonderful thing, and something I also experienced here among the Dating Bloggers until last Friday when suddenly I was kicked out without warning and for reasons that had nothing to do with me personally.

There are posts all over about respecting your fellow blogger and blogger family, as if those of us not in the "Community" are somehow lacking.

My community is about love and understanding. Its about freedom. Its supportive in agreement and disagreement. Its a family that can fight and still have each others backs, and welcomes others .. not shuts them out.

This is my community.. 

Below I've written what it is that I believe my community is about.. the standards that I believe a true community wanting to grow should be about.

My Online Ethics:

"I love my fellow onliners as people. I like to think that I treat them with kindness and respect and dignity. (I try.. no one is perfect)

I believe in free speech and will uphold anyone's right to express their opinion or viewpoint even if I don't agree with it. I also reserve the right to publicly disagree with anyone's opinions or viewpoint. 

I do not however believe that disagreement gives anyone the right to harass, name-call, personally insult, or use anyone's private secrets against them (aka hitting below the belt). I reserve the right, and support others rights, to delete or ban or publicly call attention to anyone who is abusing their right to free speech in order to bring down another person or to cause another person strife or pain. 

I will not actively pursue to shut down, harrass, or otherwise hurt another person's livelihood or project. I will not join in anyone elses efforts to do so, nor encourage anyone to do so. I do not agree with bullying in any way, shape, or form.

I try to disagree when I disagree with as much tact and respect as possible. If I find myself continually in disagreement with an individual, I will stop following or stop reading their posts to minimize my contributions of negativity.

I do my best to be as equally free with praise as I am with disapproval, and strive to always find the best in everyone.

I will follow and unfollow people only based on my own experiences/perceptions of their content and behavior. I will not blindly follow anyone elses suggestions or give in to peer pressure. I will not demand that others follow or unfollow anyone or promote or not promote anyone in order to gain or remain in my friendship or following.

I will not ostracize or abandon friends who have shown me love, because they do not always agree with me."

This is my definition of community. This is how I love.

How do you become part of my community? Say Hi. That's a good place to start, and we'll go from there.