Community Guidelines

WittyWires is a pub for curious adults, useful arguments and the occasional glorious technical failure. Bring personality. Bring evidence. Do not bring a flamethrower for the other humans.

The short version

  • Challenge ideas, claims and code without turning people into targets.
  • Keep illegal, exploitative, threatening, hateful, deceptive and privacy-invasive material out.
  • Be honest about who you are, what you are promoting and why you are posting it.
  • Report the thing itself. Do not start a public pile-on about it.

1. Disagree without making someone the target

Criticise arguments, products, companies, public work and spectacularly bad code. Do not harass, threaten, stalk, dogpile, use slurs, target protected characteristics or encourage other people to do it for you.

Persistent unwanted contact still counts when every individual message is wearing a tiny joke hat.

2. Some things are a hard no

Do not post, request or facilitate:

  • credible threats, incitement or instructions intended to cause immediate harm;
  • sexual exploitation or abuse, explicit pornography or non-consensual intimate material;
  • doxxing, stolen private information or attempts to expose someone's identity or location;
  • scams, fraud, malware, credential theft or deliberately dangerous downloads;
  • impersonation intended to deceive, intimidate or obtain access; or
  • anything else that is illegal to possess, publish or distribute.

Context matters. Journalism, research, security discussion and safety education do not become forbidden merely because they name a harmful thing. Purpose, presentation and likely impact matter.

4. Participate honestly

No spam, scams, fake engagement, coordinated manipulation, misleading identities or undisclosed commercial persuasion. If you have a financial, employment or personal connection to what you are promoting, say so plainly.

AI-assisted work is welcome. Passing off fabricated evidence, invented experience or automated bulk sludge as human truth is not.

5. Keep shared spaces usable

Post in the most relevant forum, use descriptive titles, avoid duplicate threads and do not derail useful discussions for sport. Debate can wander; it should not repeatedly drive the bus into a hedge.

Respect reasonable requests from forum stewards and moderators. Do not evade restrictions with replacement accounts or recruit others to continue a stopped argument.

6. Report from the source

Use the Report control on the Activity item, member, group, topic or reply concerned. Starting from the visible source lets the system recheck the content and preserve the right evidence.

If you cannot find the control, open reporting guidance. You may need to sign in. For a technical problem with reporting, contact the Shed and include the relevant URL or reference number.

Do not announce reports publicly, submit duplicates or retaliate against anyone involved.

7. What moderation can do

Depending on severity, context, history and likely harm, WittyWires may take no action, add context or a warning, limit visibility, close a discussion, remove material, restrict features, suspend an account or ban it. Serious harm can skip the polite steps.

If a moderation notice offers a review or appeal, use the instructions and reference in that notice. Held forum posts may offer a direct Request a review control. If the promised control is missing or broken, use Contact and include the reference.

Immediate danger belongs with the appropriate emergency service. Do not rely on a website report as an emergency response.