This post is by one of our moderators Iain Strachan. It's an important message all members should heed, because it will lead to a more peaceful and constructive environment where we can all create our art together:
It’s when two people on a social media get into a toxic argument and start hurling insults at each other. It rapidly gets out of hand as the combatants try to outdo each other.
In Invisible Poets group we do not tolerate negative or abusive comments on people’s poems, nor do we tolerate “flame wars”.
While constructive criticism is fine, it is not acceptable just to insult someone’s work, e.g. “Your poem’s a load of crap”.
If you get a comment like this, please don’t be tempted to retaliate. People who make that sort of comment “know” they’re right and they won’t relent, and more than likely they will just double down. Instead, just report the comment to Admin, and we will deal with the offender. We operate a “one strike and you’re out” - so anyone dissing a poem without any attempt to engage with it will get an immediate ban from the group.
But also, if you get enraged and retaliate, and get into a flame war, you could also get banned, or at the very least strongly restricted. Your poem, whatever its merits, will be removed from the group if you get into a fight like this.
We want to keep this group as a safe place. So play nicely!
Iain Strachan
Image used under a Creative Commons licence from Flickr
Well said Iain. Poetry groups are meant to build up poets not tear them down. Fellow administrator Brandon Haven told me last night that some poetry groups are even presented to second graders to learn from. Vile commentary does not bode well in the classroom… class in every sense of the word. Fine write sir… and thank you for sharing Steve.
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