* Updated June 9 to include irishkg's changes on the description of the Discussion Tables * 

Here's Take II on the Cafe Charter. As I've been thinking about this again (or still), it seems that the bulk of the Charter would be helpful for new users. But the section on The Duties of Denizenship . . . that I think has more universal applicability. Regardless, comments and suggestions are still welcome. :)

Welcome to TPMCafe!

TPMCafe is an online meeting place to discuss politics, culture, and public life in the United States and abroad. It is also designed to provide a forum for commentary, collaborative journalism, and activist thinking. Since its official launch 31 May 2005, the Café has hosted both blogs and public discussion areas.

The People

TPMCafe is a community, though not a classless society.

Our regular contributors have a standing invitation to participate in one of the group blogs. They know who they are; you can find them on the Front Page.

Special guests participate for a short time, often a week, bringing their particular expertise to matters of current interest.

The Geography

The blogs of our regular contributors are the mainstay of TPMCafe. Excerpts are published regularly on the Front Page, and each blog can be accessed directly via the feature buttons or the brown navigation tabs near the top of the page.

Special Features are just above the brown navigation tabs.

Café denizens are invited to comment on all posts anywhere in the Café. But we can truly romp about at:

The Discussion Tables: Divided by general topic—including Politics, Democrats, Republicans, the Media, and Culture—Café denizens discuss what’s on our minds. Initial postings to these discussions are moderated by other Café readers. (see below for more details)

Reader Blogs: A collection of everything under the sun, where readers post individual blogs. (see below for more details)

The Benefits of Denizenship

As a Café denizen, you become part of the TPMCafe community and gain four ways of interacting with the rest of us.

First, Café denizens can post a comment to any discussion thread at the Café. It’s a great way to ask questions, posit theories, and share insights.

Second, we can rate all the comments on the site, except our own, using a four-point scale. Ratings should not depend on one’s agreement or disagreement with the comment itself. Rather, a “4” or “excellent” rating rewards posters who make clear and cogent arguments, highlighting succinct, insightful, and useful content. “0”s and “1”s are reserved for inappropriate or offensive comments and help us weed out material that shouldn’t be here in the first place. (see more details below)

Third, via the Create Content link at the top of each page, we can contribute substantive or self-contained content to the Café. There are two ways to do so.

• We can post to our individual blogs. This is a place for expressing thoughts, ideas or issues as you might in a journal or diary, whether or not the posting has any significance to anyone else. Write as frequently, or not, as it suits you. Blog entries are shown in reverse chronological order.

• We can launch a new thread at one of the Discussion Tables.
• While Reader Blogs are unmediated, new Discussion Table topics must be approved by site moderators to conform to community standards: the new post's topic will be significant for more than a day or two; the post itself is well argued, preferably with links to supporting material; and the topic, as presented, will foster discussion. Although there are no rigid regulations, posts that simply report “breaking news,” reprint a Reader Blog entry, or solicit traffic for someone’s personal blog will generally not be accepted.
• Also, please remember to select the most appropriate table for your topic, lest your post be lost in the ether of the internet.
  

Fourth, we can send a private message to another denizen. Click on “My Inbox,” then “write a new message.” Please use this option to promote both civility and quality. If a question or comment might disrupt the rhythm of a thread, consider sending the poster a private message rather than posting in public.

The Duties of Denizenship / On Civility

At TPMCafe, we strive to cultivate a collegial atmosphere, one conducive to discussion. Therefore, please abide by the following guidelines.

• Use ratings for their designated purposes only. Don’t downrate comments simply because you disagree with them! In practice, it can be difficult to separate out how we judge the “quality” of a comment from whether we agree with its content. Please do your best to avoid this common pitfall.
• Because ratings should not be personal, we recommend discretion in rating the comments of posters with whom you are actively debating.
• Personal attacks are never appropriate. If we disagree with a comment, we should criticize the substance of the argument, rather than the individual who made it. Rude and retaliatory comments are not appropriate.
• Acceptable: “I don’t see that x follows from y as you suggest.”
• Unacceptable: “You’re an idiot.”
• All Café participants are entitled to courtesy and respect. Rational people can view the same set of facts and reach different conclusions. Disagreement does not indicate a) stupidity, b) inaccurate or incomplete information, or c) malfeasance.
• If we are troubled by the behavior of another Café denizen, we should report our concerns to The Management rather than engaging in ratings’ wars or insult exchanges.

Navigation

There is no one way to maneuver through the Café. That said, here are a few useful nooks and crannies.

From My Account, the “track” button will note any activity on any thread you’ve replied to. The “comments” button will index your comments and note any replies. Your personal tracker address is http://www.tpmcafe.com/user/your-unique-userID-number/track

The universal tracker highlights the most recent action at TPMCafe. It’s one way to find active discussions and to keep your finger on the pulse of things.

Go to the Discussion Table posts tracker to see the Discussion Table posts getting users’ attention.

The Overheard section, on the lower left-hand sidebar, gives you the latest snippets from posts in the TPMCafe blogs and the Discussion Tables. It’s like overhearing the conversation at the next table in a real world café or coffee house. Hence the name. :) You might serendipitously find a conversation you’d like to join.

The Administrivia of Café Governance

Café denizens earn karma points based on the ratings their comments receive. This cumulative calculation—based on an algorithm hidden in the vaults at Drupal, our infrastructure crew—provides a measure of the engagement and trustworthiness of each member. Karma scores are not available to users.

If their karma exceeds a given arbitrary standard, Café denizens are considered Trusted Users. Their rating scale then expands to include a “0.” They become responsible for zero-rating inappropriate content like spam and ensuring that acceptable posts are not unfairly hidden from the TPMCafe community.

Moderators are Café denizens selected by The Management and charged with reviewing initial Discussion Table topics. They vote to accept (+1) or reject (-1) a submitted post. When a post earns a +5, it is published; when a post earns -5, it is removed from consideration. Moderators cannot see a post’s score until after they have voted. They are not nearly as powerful as the term “moderator” usually suggests.

Other Resources

If you still have questions, please visit the Users’ Help Forum. If your question hasn't been addressed, please post it. We’re a friendly bunch, honest!

The Fine Print

The History of the Café: The Café officially launched 31 May 2005 as a companion site to Talking Points Memo (TPM). It is owned and operated by TPM Media LLC, edited by Joshua Micah Marshall, and powered by the collaborative media application, Drupal.

The Mothership:Joshua Micah Marshall started publishing Talking Points Memo (TPM), a political blog, in November 2000 during the disputed Florida election recount. The site has been in continuous publication ever since. It has a monthly readership of well over half a million readers and is frequently noted in publications across the United States.