Room Rules for "Comedians in Chat Getting Coffee"

Stage I Room Rules

(For an explanation of what "Stage I" means, see the room's Mission Statement.)

(Note: the room name used to be "Comedians in Chat Getting Coffee" -- now changed to "Charitable Debates in Good Faith")

1.  Mic Time

A.  Generally speaking, there is no time limit for mic chat.  (Sometimes we have an auto-timer but most of the time we don't.)

B.  Admin action for dotting for time.  Admins can at their discretion estimate when a mic chatter has talked too long.  At that point, the admin must type in all caps something like "TIME -- PLEASE WIND UP AND PASS THE MIC".  Then the admin must wait several seconds and type that same message in again.  Then the admin must wait several more seconds, and if the chatter has not left mic, the admin may dot him off the mic.  The admin must immediately undot that chatter, since the function of the dot is only to take them off mic.  (Note: For this to apply, there must be at least one other chatter waiting in line for mic.)

C.  We encourage chatters to be mindful of other chatters waiting behind you in the mic queue as you wax on (and on... and on...).

D.  There are no "time calls" per se by chatters.  Chatters are free to type "time" or "this is going on too long" etc., but I direct my admins not to be necessarily affected or influenced by these expressions of impatience.  Whether a chatter is limited in time by the threat of a dot is entirely up to the discretion of the admins.

E. If a chatter has been talking for a long time on mic with nobody in the mic queue waiting, then someone puts their hand up, that chatter who has been on mic for a long time needs to wrap up soon, and not luxuriate with his blabber on mic for another minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, etc.

2.  Jumping Mic

A.  Anyone who jumps the mic will be dotted. The dot will be removed within a few seconds.

B.  If the jumper jumps the mic a 2nd time in the same day, he will be dotted and the dot will remain for an hour (give or take a few minutes).

C.  Admins should not jump mic for "admin business" unless absolutely necessary, and only rarely.  When admins do feel they have to jump mic for "admin business" please be BRUTALLY brief. Just say what you have to say and get off the freaking mic.  (Usually, "admin business" means taking the mic to remind someone who is not taking their mic turn to take their mic turn, then telling the next person to go ahead if the other guy doesn't take mic in 10 seconds; etc.)

D.  If there is a line at the mic and the one speaking finishes, but the next in line doesn't take mic, then the person behind the next in line can seize the mic after waiting 10 seconds.

E.  No "leap-frogging".  Leap-frogging is defined this way: If there are 4 people in line for mic and the person who should be taking mic is not taking mic, just sitting there, it is up to the next one in line to take mic after waiting 10 seconds (see 2D).  At that point, #3 in line can't just jump over the two chatters ahead of him and seize the mic (even if he claims that 10 seconds passed).  If the #2 chatter doesn't do anything even after 10 seconds have passed, THAT is one of the rarely appropriate times when an admin should seize mic, so he can sort this out.

3.  Spamming.

A.  No spamming.  Spammers will be dotted for 1 hour the first time, for a long time the 2nd time (how long is up to the admin).

B.  Spamming is defined as typing in too much text over and over again in a short span of time.  (All these terms are subject to admin discretion).

4.  Music On Mic

A.  If you want to play music on mic, please ask an admin.  They may or may not allow you to do it.  They probably will be more likely to allow it if you just have a brief excerpt (maybe 30 seconds or so).

5.  Serious Threats Against Other Chatters

A.  Only serious threats will incur a dot, not threats obviously meant jokingly, figuratively, or "in the heat of the moment" (as for example when some guy in the Bronx shakes his fist at a passing taxi that just splashed him from a mud puddle, "I'm gonna wring yer neck...!!!").

B.  Too much harrassment/badgering of another chatter or other chatters incurs a dot.

6. "Admin Discretion"

A.  The phrase "admin discretion" comes up a few times in the rules.  It also applies generally speaking in any instance where the determination of a rule violation and the application of punishment for that violation may be somewhat vague.  (Example -- rule 5.A, the discernment of when a violent threat is "serious" as opposed to when it's "joking, figurative, or in the heat of the moment").

B.  Admin discretion also applies -- other than where specified above -- to how long an admin dots someone, and whether an admin decides the chatter's behavior has become so bad he needs to be bounced.


7.  Dots

A.  No dots for content (unless otherwise indicated by another rule on this page).

B.  I direct my admins to use dots and bounces very rarely.

C.  General dotting instructions for admins:  Admins are to dot a brief time the first infraction (a few seconds), dot for longer time the second infraction (1 hour), then 24 hours for the third infraction.  If the miscreant continues misbehaving, admins can do whatever they like.

D.  Admins are to use common sense when deciding to dot someone who is spewing "nonsense".

E. Dots for "nonsense" and for jumping mic are for a "long time".

F.  Many other things may be dotted; not all of them listed on this page for now.  One I can think of now is streaming chat from other rooms into my room, or playing recordings of other rooms/chatters in my room -- all of which will also be dotted for a "long time".