Workroom Social Community Rules and Guidelines
Last updated November 27, 2021
If you have feedback on our Community Rules and Guidelines, please email me at hello @ workroomsocial.com or call me in the studio at 646-481-1650. I appreciate your ideas! —Jennifer
Sewing has the power to connect us with others we might not meet otherwise, and at Workroom Social we develop opportunities for sewists to build relationships that go far beyond sewing itself. Workroom Social creates spaces for sewists to interact with each other, and these rules and guidelines apply to these spaces. We refer to these spaces as community spaces. Community spaces include all in-person events and activities. Community spaces also include all digital spaces created by and/or managed by Workroom Social including—but not limited to—workroomsocial.com, instagram.com/workroomsocial, facebook.com/workroomsocial/, youtube.com/workroomsocial, socialsewists.com, Zoom meetings and webinars, and online community groups on Thinkific, Facebook, and Mighty Networks.
We recognize that our hobbies are only one aspect of our complicated lives, and the time we spend together sewing does not erase difficulties we face or hardships we're experiencing.
Please use Workroom Social community spaces to enhance the Workroom Social experience, for yourself and for our maker community: connect with others, ask for help, share your achievements, lift up others, and support others requesting assistance.
Please read our complete rules and guidelines below. It’s important to create a space in which you feel included, comfortable, and safe, and to do this we all must abide by and uphold these rules. We take violations of these rules seriously, and upon violation, we will mute, remove, or take other actions to protect the community at our discretion.
1. Treat others with kindness and respect always.
Always treat others with kindness and respect. Pay attention to your language, and remember that tone can be difficult to communicate and interpret accurately in the short-form text of online writing. Good intentions can have harmful impact, and each one of us plays a role in ensuring that others in our communities feels included, comfortable, and safe.
Engage with others in a way that makes them feel welcomed and appreciated.
Unless you are directly asked to provide feedback, do not post or share negative or critical comments about another person's project. Workroom Social community spaces are for celebrating each other's creations—even if our creations are unsuccessful, they are opportunities for learning and growing as a maker.
2. Speak about your lived experience, no one else's.
Remember that we all have different experiences. You may speak about your own experiences. Please do not speak for others about their experiences.
3. Keep an open mind.
Be willing to be surprised and learn something new. Listen (or read) actively, and be willing to “try on” new ideas or ways of doing things that might be unfamiliar or different from what you prefer.
4. Take responsibility for yourself.
Advocate for yourself. If you experience harm in a Workroom Social community space, respectfully let the community member know and/or contact Jennifer and/or contact another Workroom Social staffer. Not sure what to say to the community member? Start with "I am a valuable person, and I feel..."
Advocate for others. If you notice someone else causing harm to others, respectfully let the community member know and/or contact Jennifer and/or contact another Workroom Social staffer. Not sure what to say to the community member? Start with "I feel obligated as a Workroom Social student/community member to tell you..."
Good intentions can cause harmful impact. If someone has let you know your intentions have been harmful, take personal responsibility for your actions. Not sure what say in response to a community member? Start with an apology. Remember, every person is a valuable part of our world, and each one of us plays a role in ensuring that others in our communities feels included, comfortable, and safe.
5. Do not blame or shame others or yourself.
Disparaging comments about individuals or groups of people will not be tolerated. Racist and oppressive views are not welcome in our community spaces. We do not allow conversations that uphold oppressive systems and dynamics.
You are strictly prohibited from submitting or posting any content or material that is abusive, vulgar, threatening, harassing, knowingly false, defamatory, profane, obscene, infringing, or otherwise in violation of any law or the rights of others. We do not tolerate any harassment, fights, stalking, or disrespect to others.
If, in our sole discretion, your conduct violates these terms in any way, you agree that we may immediately and permanently terminate your access to any and all of our community spaces, classes, events, or programs without refund.
6. No spam, inappropriate, or offensive content.
If you post spam, inappropriate, or offensive content you may be banned from any and all of our community spaces, classes, events, or programs without refund.
7. Do not solicit others.
You may not publicly post or send private messages to community members about business promotions.
8. We reserve the right to close commenting on any post at any time.
In digital community spaces, we may close a thread after it has received a large number of comments or after a long period of time. If you're looking to engage in discussion on a closed post, you may start a new post with the same topic.
9. You agree to these rules and guidelines.
By joining an in-person event or logging onto our digital community spaces and/or engaging in our communities, you agree to follow the rules and guidelines listed above.
10. You understand that our rules and guidelines will change over time.
As we learn new things, we reserve the right to change our minds about our rules and guidelines, with no notice to you. Our rules and guidelines are influenced by our values, and we are always working to do better and be better for our community. We expect the same from our community members.
This page is updated regularly. Questions about any of these items? Email Jennifer at hello @ workroomsocial.com or call me in the studio at 646-481-1650.