4 ms·

Why not just have a rule to be nice to each other? Personally I wouldn't like a climate of micromanaged human interaction. But of course for others it might be

Why not just have a rule to be nice to each other? Personally I wouldn't like a climate of micromanaged human interaction. But of course for others it might be different. I am not saying they should change their policy, just that it would be off-putting to me.

asuffield 13y ago
Because that's really hard and you can't tell whether people are following it.
- 6d0debc071 13y ago
  If your rules are a very small set - 3 or so - then you can reasonably expect people to remember them all. However, if your rules are a bit longer than that, then, IME, it's better to try to come up with a rough heuristic and link in the specific rules as advice on how to avoid violating that - with warnings before the final firing or whatever so that people can see which specific things don't match their perception of the heuristic and have a chance of learning those.
alttab 13y ago
Feigned surprise may not be seen as "not nice" by those doing it. It's a combination of superiority, surprise, and interest in the other person. Not everyone was aware they were being a dick
zhemao 13y ago
From the Hacker School manual in which these rules are spelled out. > The goal isn't to burden Hacker School with a bunch of annoying rules, or to give us a stick to bludgeon people with for "being bad." Rather, these rules are designed to help all of us build a pleasant, productive, and fearless community. To build a positive environment, it sometimes helps to have a list of specific toxic behaviors that should be avoided.
- facepalm 13y ago
  Sure, I guess it depends how you interpret the world "rule". It could just be a recommendation, or people could be expelled for breaking it.
  - zhemao 13y ago
    Different rules have different punishments. It's in the nature of rules. I very much doubt that anyone at Hacker School has been kicked out for feigning surprise.
michaelbuckbee 13y ago
What you're describing was my first reaction as well, but in the Hacker School Manual [1] they bring up a smart point that I hadn't considered: 'almost nobody sets out to be a jerk or annoying, so telling people not to be jerks isn't a very productive strategy'. Which is why they need the sort of lightweight rules/guidelines for specific types of behavior.

asuffield 13y ago

Because that's really hard and you can't tell whether people are following it.

6d0debc071 13y ago
If your rules are a very small set - 3 or so - then you can reasonably expect people to remember them all. However, if your rules are a bit longer than that, then, IME, it's better to try to come up with a rough heuristic and link in the specific rules as advice on how to avoid violating that - with warnings before the final firing or whatever so that people can see which specific things don't match their perception of the heuristic and have a chance of learning those.

alttab 13y ago

Feigned surprise may not be seen as "not nice" by those doing it. It's a combination of superiority, surprise, and interest in the other person. Not everyone was aware they were being a dick

zhemao 13y ago

From the Hacker School manual in which these rules are spelled out. > The goal isn't to burden Hacker School with a bunch of annoying rules, or to give us a stick to bludgeon people with for "being bad." Rather, these rules are designed to help all of us build a pleasant, productive, and fearless community. To build a positive environment, it sometimes helps to have a list of specific toxic behaviors that should be avoided.

facepalm 13y ago
Sure, I guess it depends how you interpret the world "rule". It could just be a recommendation, or people could be expelled for breaking it.
- zhemao 13y ago
  Different rules have different punishments. It's in the nature of rules. I very much doubt that anyone at Hacker School has been kicked out for feigning surprise.

michaelbuckbee 13y ago

What you're describing was my first reaction as well, but in the Hacker School Manual [1] they bring up a smart point that I hadn't considered: 'almost nobody sets out to be a jerk or annoying, so telling people not to be jerks isn't a very productive strategy'. Which is why they need the sort of lightweight rules/guidelines for specific types of behavior.