Guidelines ammendment on misinformation & conflicting opinions.

[lifenautjoe]

We need to extend the community guidelines with some solid points on misinformation/deceptive content and dealing with conflicting opinions.

To kickstart some ideas, on misinformation/deceptive content, perhaps a list of things to requirements to check for before posting a piece of information such as a news article whereas in conflicting opinions about being willing to engage in dialogue when met in opposing opinions and some possible outcomes and solutions.

[lifenautjoe]

Random notes: Independently verifiable information in articles. Cited sources in them.

[stranljip]

First ideas from me (far from complete and not „polished“)

misinformation/deceptive content

• Okuna is build on trust. This is only possible, if every user takes the responsibility for information brought into the network by her/him. This concerns original information as well as content from third parties, like news networks
• at Okuna we want to avoid the spread of misinformation. If you identify something which contains misinformation or deceptive content, ask the author of the post or comment politely to review her/his content and to provide sources if she/he insists on keeping the information which you criticized. If you doubt something, providing content from fact-checking sites on the disputed content can probably help
• if someone has doubts about the content you provided, engage in the discussion with the intent to resolve the doubts. If possible, provide additional sources for your point of view

dealing with conflicting opinions

• make a distinction between opinions and facts. It is ok to have different opinions on every topic thinkable
• it is ok to try to convince others of your opinion - but be aware, that you don’t have the right to force your opinion on someone else. In doubt, agree to disagree
• at Okuna we follow our set of guidelines (see ...). This means, that hate, defamation or disregard for other people have no place here. Freedom of speech does not give you the right to hurt your fellow users. And yes - this is a challenge for all of us, since we come from a multitude of different backgrounds

[efka526]

I strongly urge to distinguish between toxic conspiracy theories (antivaxxers, corona deniers, holocaust deniers etc) and different valid opinions. There is stuff that is wrong on an objective level and dangerous and NOT an opinion that should be protected, although you don't share that opinion.

Someone who says that the Shoah never happened does not state an oppinion but is plainly and undebatable wrong.

Someone who states that vaccination causes authism and endangers the life of people does not express an opinion but is just wrong.

Someone who states that future vaccination against Corona is a plan and fake by Bill Gates, planned by the jews to kill millions of people, is not opinion but dangerous bullshit. Yeah that sounds strange but this antisemitic antivaxxing nonsense was posted on Okuna already...

So there are topics where there can't be different opinions.

[efka526]

And Okuna should never ever allow murderous cults that already killed people on Okuna like QAnon... This should be treated without any tolerance. See also this article for a start... These QAnon-people already killed humans, in the USA, in Germany. No one should ever allow these people on any social network.

[braydofficial]

We could delete posts based on research NGOs that fact check such stuff. For e.g. Correctiv
So if a person says "Karl Lauterbach said wearing a face mask will forever be forced on Germans through an upcomming law" you could delete that posts or mark it as wrong and give the person the link to the correct information, which would be this here in that case. (German).

Also, extreme posts that are just dangerous like denying the Holocaust or else could be deleted right away after they're reported. To be able to moderate reports there could be volunteers that are long enough on Okuna and that are known by Joel & Co., so they could help to fact-check such things and help with the moderation/deletion of such posts/comments right away. I would be a Volunteer by myself if possible, because I love doing research and fact-checking things. :P

[braydofficial]

We could delete posts based on research NGOs that fact check such stuff. For e.g. Correctiv
So if a person says "Karl Lauterbach said wearing a face mask will forever be forced on Germans through an upcomming law" you could delete that posts or mark it as wrong and give the person the link to the correct information, which would be this here in that case. (German).

Also, extreme posts that are just dangerous like denying the Holocaust or else could be deleted right away after they're reported. To be able to moderate reports there could be volunteers that are long enough on Okuna and that are known by Joel & Co., so they could help to fact-check such things and help with the moderation/deletion of such posts/comments right away. I would be a Volunteer by myself if possible, because I love doing research and fact-checking things. :P

Another option, which is coming into my mind would be to just mark untrue posts as untrue with sources for everyone to see to do their research regarding this topic. Deleting this could cause people to say its censorship. Marking them as not true and giving sources is stopping the spread of this, too, because everyone can see they're not true. Really dangerous posts should be deleted, anyway.

[efka526]

Those people will always say that coping with them is censorship or dictatorship. It MUST be clear not to give those people any space to spread their murderous lies.

Tell Ferhat Unvar, 23, that QAnon is a valid opinion.
Tell Mercedes Kierpacz, 35, mother of two kids that QAnon is a valid opinion.
Tell Sedat Gürbüz, 30, that QAnon is a valid opinion.
Tell Gökhan Gültekin, cousin of a kolleague of mine, 37, that QAnon is a valid opinion.
Tell Hamza Kurtović, 20, that QAnon is a valid opinion.
Tell Kaloyan Velkov, 33, father of a small boy, that QAnon is a valid opinion.
Tell Vili Viorel Păun, 23, that QAnon is a valid opinion.
Tell Said Nesar Hashemi, 21, that QAnon is a valid opinion. Or his brother who survived badly wounded.
Tell Fatih Saraçoğlu, 33, that QAnon is a valid opinion.
Tell Gabriele Rathjen, 72, that QAnon is a valid opinion.

Oh wait, they were all murdered by Tobias Rathjen, member of the QAnon conspiracy cult, in Hanau.

We won't forget their names and we won't accept members of a murderous cult and their conspiracy bullshit. Cause it kills.

There were a lot more similar incidents involving QAnon cult members murdering people all around the globe... The FBI labeled QAnon officially as a domestic terrorism thread. This must not have any place on Okuna. Never.