Posting Guidelines

These guidelines help you contribute effectively to civic discussions. Good posts advance understanding through clear information and thoughtful questions.

Cite Sources (Prefer .gov, .org)

  • Government sources first — Official .gov sites provide authoritative civic data
  • Established organizations — Non-profit .org sites often offer reliable research
  • Academic institutions — University research provides peer-reviewed analysis
  • Primary documents — Link to original legislation, court decisions, agency reports
  • Avoid aggregators — Go directly to source rather than summary sites when possible

Ask Neutral Questions

  • "How does this process work?" — Focus on understanding mechanisms
  • "What are the different positions?" — Seek to understand all perspectives
  • "Where can I find more information?" — Ask for additional sources
  • "What has happened historically?" — Request context and precedent
  • "What do the numbers show?" — Ask about data and evidence

Label Opinions Clearly

  • "In my opinion..." — Clearly mark personal viewpoints
  • "I think..." — Distinguish interpretation from fact
  • "Based on my experience..." — Acknowledge personal perspective
  • "This suggests..." — Note when drawing inferences from data
  • "Many argue..." — Reference broader discussions without taking sides

Use Civic Tags (#bill, #election)

  • #bill — For discussions about specific legislation
  • #election — For electoral processes and voting information
  • #budget — For government spending and financial discussions
  • #local — For city, county, or state-level topics
  • #federal — For national government discussions
  • #data — For posts about interpreting charts or statistics

Writing Effective Posts

  • Clear subject lines — Help others understand your topic quickly
  • Include context — Mention relevant location, timeframe, or background
  • Be specific — "How does committee markup work?" vs "How does Congress work?"
  • Show your research — Mention what you've already found or tried
  • Ask follow-up questions — Engage with responses to deepen understanding

Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Leading questions — Don't embed conclusions in your questions
  • Vague requests — "Tell me about politics" is too broad to answer well
  • Partisan framing — Present issues neutrally rather than from one side
  • Unsourced claims — Always provide links when stating facts
  • Thread hijacking — Start new posts for different topics