Tulsa Digital Communication Norms

v1.2 Approved on May 17th, 2026 by unanimous consent by FREE Tulsa General Assembly.

Purpose

Most of FREE’s day-to-day communication happens digitally — in group chats, email threads, social media, and shared documents. These spaces are where relationships are built, decisions are coordinated, and, often, where tensions surface first.

This document covers two areas:

• Part 1: Internal Communication Channels — group chats, email lists, shared workspaces, video calls
• Part 2: Public-Facing Communication — social media, public posts, media engagement, public events

The Code of Conduct applies in all digital spaces. These norms add specifics for how we communicate online.

---

PART 1: Internal Communication Channels

Applies to: Signal groups, WhatsApp threads, Discord/Slack channels, email lists, Google Workspace, video calls, and any other platform used for FREE coordination.

Tone and Conduct

• The Code of Conduct’s Commitments and Behavioral Standards apply to all internal communications. It is each member’s responsibility to ensure that their communications remain respectful and reflect the values and ideals that FREE represents.
• Assume good faith first. Text strips tone. Before reacting to a message, consider that it may not have been intended the way you read it. If a message lands wrong, ask for clarification rather than assuming ill intent.
• Be direct, keep it respectful. Disagreement is expected and healthy. Sarcasm, passive aggression, and subtweets-within-the-chat are not. If you have a problem with a person, talk to them privately or use the conflict resolution process — don’t attempt to resolve it in the group chat.
• Don’t pile on. If someone has already been corrected or challenged, you don’t need to add a fourth or fifth message making the same point. Pile-ons in group chats feel like public shaming even when that’s not the intent.
• Step away rather than escalate. If you’re angry, close the app. Come back when you can say what you need to say without making the situation worse. There is no message that can’t wait an hour.

Using Channels Appropriately

• Stay on topic. Use the channel or thread for its intended purpose. Social conversation, coordination, and decision-making should have separate spaces where possible.
• Don’t use group channels for interpersonal disputes. If you have a conflict with another member, take it to direct messages or to the conflict resolution process. The group channel is not the venue.
• Don’t use FREE channels for content unrelated to the work — personal promotions, unrelated political arguments, commercial solicitations, chain messages, etc. The FREE Conversations chat is where general conversations and announcements can be made.
• Tag and notify intentionally. @everyone and @channel should be reserved for time-sensitive coordination. Overuse trains people to ignore notifications.

Voice and Video Calls

• The same norms apply on calls as in text. Being on video doesn’t make interrupting, talking over someone, or dismissive body language acceptable.
• Recording requires consent. Do not record any call or meeting without explicitly informing all participants and getting agreement. This is non-negotiable.
• Mute when you’re not speaking in larger group calls. Basic, but it matters.

Decisions in Chat

• Don’t make decisions by chat default. If a proposal is floated in a group chat and a few people respond “sounds good,” that is not a decision. Decisions follow whatever process the assembly or working group has agreed to. Chat is for discussion and temperature checks, not binding votes — unless your group has explicitly agreed otherwise.
• Document decisions outside of chat. If something is decided (through a proper process), record it somewhere durable — meeting notes, a shared document, a task tracker. Chat history is not documentation.

Privacy and Confidentiality

• Do not screenshot or forward internal conversations to people outside FREE without the consent of the people involved.
• Do not share another member’s personal information (phone number, address, workplace, personal situation) in group channels or with outside parties without their permission.
• Be aware of who is in the chat. Before sharing something sensitive, check the member list. Groups change over time and you may not realize who has access.
• Respect the privacy of all attendees. Do not capture or post photos, video, or audio of audience members without their explicit consent. If an attendee asks not to be recorded or photographed, that request must be honored immediately. This rule applies to personal posts as well as organizational posts.

Joining, Muting/Blocking, Leaving, and Removing

• Adding members: New members should be added to internal channels through whatever onboarding process the assembly has agreed to — not ad hoc by individual members.
• Muting/Blocking: aka”Cooling Off” Period: In rare cases of high-intensity conflict, a channel administrator or the Response Team may temporarily remove a member from a chat, in order to refer the conflict to the appropriate dispute resolution procedure. This is not a permanent ban, but a tool to de-escalate a situation and prevent further harm while a resolution is sought.
• Leaving: You can leave a channel at any time. If you’re leaving because of a conflict, consider reaching out to the Point Person rather than just disappearing.
• Removing members: Removing someone from a channel is a significant action. It should only be done by the Response Team or channel administrator as part of a documented process, not unilaterally by another member in the middle of a disagreement.

PART 2: Public-Facing Communication

Applies to: personal social media when referencing FREE, FREE’s official social media accounts, public posts, media interviews, public comments at events, and any context where you are identifiable as a FREE member speaking about FREE or its work.

Speaking on Behalf of FREE

• Do not speak as FREE without authorization. Only designated people post from official FREE accounts or make public statements on behalf of the organization. If you’re unsure whether you’re authorized, you’re not — ask first.
• Personal accounts are personal, with limits. You’re free to post whatever you want on your own accounts. But if you identify yourself as a FREE member and make claims about the organization’s positions, plans, or internal affairs, that crosses into organizational communication and these norms apply.
• When in doubt, speak for yourself. “I think…” and “In my view…” are different from “FREE believes…” or “We’ve decided…” Use the first framing on personal accounts.

Internal Disagreements and Public Airing

• Raise disagreements internally first. If you disagree with a decision, a direction, or another member’s behavior, use internal channels and the conflict resolution process. Going public damages trust and makes resolution harder.
• Do not vaguebook or subtweet about internal conflicts. Posts that don’t name FREE but are clearly about FREE — or about specific members — are still public airing. If people in the org can identify what you’re talking about, it’s not ambiguous.
• Disagreements should remain internal to protect the integrity of the organization. If you feel a concern has not been addressed, please escalate it directly to the Response Team or a designated Point Person. Public disclosure regarding internal conflicts is considered a violation of this Code, except in extreme cases of legal or safety necessity where all internal governance has been formally exhausted.

Engaging Online

• Represent our values. When engaging publicly as a FREE member or on FREE accounts, the Code of Conduct applies. Don’t harass, don’t pile on, don’t spread misinformation.
• Don’t feed bad-faith engagement. Trolls, provocateurs, and people arguing in bad faith are not owed a response. Disengage. If something needs an official response, flag it to whoever manages the relevant account. Harassment or other inappropriate behavior may result in the banning of that person.
• Verify before you share. Don’t repost unverified claims, manipulated images, or unconfirmed reports from FREE accounts or in FREE’s name. Getting something wrong publicly is harder to fix than waiting an hour to confirm.
• Be careful with humor and sarcasm. These don’t translate well in text, especially across cultural contexts. What reads as a joke to you may read as the organization’s official position to someone else.

Photos, Video, and Stories

• Get consent before posting images of members or community participants — especially at actions, meetings, or events. Some people’s safety depends on not being publicly associated with political organizing.
• Do not livestream or record FREE meetings or internal events without advance notice to the group.
• Do not make or share images or recordings from accountability or conflict resolution processes. Ever.

Protecting Community Safety

• Never post the following publicly:
  • Specific locations of members’ homes or workplaces
  • Details of upcoming direct actions that depend on the element of surprise
  • Real names or identifying details of members who use pseudonyms
  • Internal strategy, legal discussions, or financial details
  • Information about ongoing conflict resolution processes
• Think about who’s watching. Employers, opponents, law enforcement, and journalists all monitor public social media. Post with that awareness.

When These Norms Are Violated Violations of these norms are handled through the same process as any Code of Conduct violation:

1. Minor or first-time issues (e.g. frequently going off-topic, accidental oversharing, tone problems) receive a private, direct conversation from a peer or the Point Person. Most things resolve here.
2. Deliberate, Repeated or more serious issues (e.g. public airing of internal disputes, sharing screenshots, unauthorized statements on behalf of FREE) are referred to the Response Team and handled through the Conflict & Harm Resolution Process.
3. Severe or safety-related issues (e.g. doxxing a member, sharing protected information, posting recordings of private processes) warrant immediate temporary removal from channels while the Response Team assesses. This is a protective measure, not a final decision.

Channel administrators can mute or temporarily restrict someone’s access to a specific channel in an acute situation (e.g., an escalating argument in real time). This should be communicated to the person directly and reported to the Point Person within 24 hours. It is not a substitute for the full process.

This is a living document. It will be reviewed and updated with input from the membership.