Moderated Discussions

As part of the conference, we will be having a series of moderated discussions around various topics. Please respect the following guidelines when attending a discussion.

Be respectful

Feel free to disagree strongly with other people, but don't make it personal. It's okay to tell someone you think they're wrong, but not that they're stupid.

Let others speak

Give others a chance to speak. Don't jump in when others are talking. Don't talk for a really long time, and don't repeatedly raise your hand if others haven't had a chance to speak yet.

Stay on topic

Try to stay on topic, and don't grind a personal axe (too much).

Guidelines for Moderators

• Some of the discussions will probably attract enough people that it will necessary to have people raise their hand to speak.
• Don't be afraid to ask someone to wind it up if they've gone on too long.
• Similarly, don't be afraid to tell someone that they've gone off-topic.
• Don't plan on participating too much. Your job is to keep the discussion going.
• Do come up with a couple questions to kick-start discussion, and to use if things slow down mid-stream.