What does ‘being nice’ even mean? Here we try to clarify!
Fundamental basics
We are a community of people with one unifying goal. It is important for us that every person who wants to participate is able to do so. Nobody should feel excluded or rejected for no reason. The community atmosphere and the communication among each other are based on respect, kindness, politeness and trust. That means for example:
- to not insult anybody, be it implicitly or explicitly.
- to not ridicule anybody.
- to not annoy, pester or belittle anybody on purpose.
- to address potential problems and not to backbite.
- to clarify problems quickly so there won’t be any frustration.
- to initially expect the best from everybody.
- to initially assume everybody’s seriousness and authenticity.
Of course not every single person is as nice as we would like them to be, but this is no reason to behave like ill-humored cynics, who see every stranger as a potential threat!
The way we approach others tells a lot about ourselves and it affects the reaction of other people towards us and others. That is why we ask you to set a good example and behave in a way that will make people want to be as nice as you are by your constructive actions! Thank you so much for your cooperation!
Nevertheless, single persons that break the basic values of the community will have to take responsibility for their destructive actions. And since we want to be able to protect the project and its community, there are some consequences. Please check the bullets points on absolute no-gos in the checklist ‘professionalism for foodsavers’ on the end of the Guide: How to build and maintain cooperations with stores.
Online communication
Please don’t let yourself be carried away by virtual anonymity and refrain from all sorts of stupid foolishness! Every account is made by a real person who wants to be treated as one. All the above-mentioned points apply for online contacts as well as in person.