MEETING ETIQUETTE
PRE MEETING
This is a great time to catch up on news, greet friends, and chat about your recovery problems and triumphs. For those who get here early there is usually some wonderful socializing. But we need to remember we are addicts and need to behave appropriately. We ALL need this #SLAA room to be as safe as possible and only you can do that. No amount of policing can keep it safe - just YOU!!!!
Keep talk to recovery, family and current issues in a safe fashion. This is NOT a time to flirt, engage in racy talk or attempt inappropriate behaviors.
It is highly recommended that you keep talk in main channel. There is little you should need to say that is private and would require a message window or DCC window.
If the room is very crowded or a conversation is personal as between a sponsor and sponsee or between recovery partners then by all means open a message window. (Known as "talking in the hall") If you do, be aware that you have a responsibility to the other party to behave appropriately and safely.
DURING MEETINGS
Your purpose in attending a meeting is to participate in your recovery. This includes but is not limited to sharing your stories and experiences, hopes and headaches, receiving feedback at meetings for that purpose, and learning how recovery works and gaining insight from listening to others in recovery.
During a meeting we listen, share and encourage our recovery friends. We highly encourage you to be "present" in the meeting, participating by keeping your dialog in the main SLAA window and limit your "chatting" so that the most beneficial elements of the meeting are not missed. There is little that should need to be said in a private window that cannot wait until after the meeting.
Please be considerate of others when sharing. While we need honesty we do not need to be triggering. The purpose of sharing is to convey where we are, ask for help, and to be encouraging. We encourage shares that bring us up to date such as a check-in BUT we do not need the use of triggering words or offensive language in a share to be effective.
Please do not cross talk during shares. As noted above in the MEETING FORMAT only one or two words of encouragement or empathy should be needed during a share. Cross talk includes advice, commentary, questions and other inappropriate behavior that is disruptive and interferes with the flow of the share and may upset or distract the person sharing. Repeat offenders may be kicked from the room after a warning.
Please limit the use of popup’s and aliases to one or two line congratulatory popup’s during a share when complimenting a success or providing encouragement. The preferred time for these "fun" items is after a share.
Refrain from welcoming friends into the room after sharing has begun until a share has ended. Just like cross talk this can be very distracting to the person sharing and is rude. Wait until a share is finished.
Remember that everyone had fragile egos when they came into recovery. We remember our own pain and difficulty getting words out. Be understanding and empathetic when making any comment. Be sure you understand what was said.
Please disable any automatic message systems that provide two or three lines of information on you, the time when you leave and when you will return from a channel or go away from the keyboard(AFK). These are very disruptive during a share. Simply changing you nick to <nick-AFK> is adequate.
POST MEETING
For a very large meeting and with latecomers we encourage those who have not had the opportunity to share to do so at this time. Please be aware and courteous at these times. These people usually need to share and if someone begins please cease all chatter and listen as if the meeting were continuing.
This is the most dangerous time of the meetings. We tend to relax and let our hair down a bit. We recommend especially newbies stay out of private messages and DCC chats for their own good. All of us need to be aware of the risks during this period and behave with caution and respect for our recovery friends.
By all means socialize and make friends during this time if you can stay. We all need friends during this trying period of our lives. The good friends we make here will be some of the few friends we have where we can talk recovery without fear of misunderstanding and rebuke.
This is a great time to get to know the people who can help your recovery. Finding an appropriate sponsor and recovery partner can make a substantial difference in your recovery success.
BEHAVIOR GUIDELINES
The ability to keep this room safe is entirely up to you. Refuse to be a part of any sexual encounter.
Please report all inappropriate behaviors promptly to a room Operator (an OP). They are the ones at the top of the names list with an @ before their names and lead meetings. These behaviors include any inappropriate language, rumors about other members, harassment of any kind and sexual advances of any kind.
If an inappropriate incident occurs but with no acting out, a warning will be given to the party who instigated the inappropriate behavior.
If acting out occurs both parties will be given a warning regardless of who was the instigator.
For a second offense the party or parties will be banned from #SLAA for a period of one (1) month minimum. In order to return the banned parties will be required to be sober (free from all bottom line behaviors as agreed to with their sponsors) for a period of two weeks minimum prior to their return and declare this to the channel operators.
The channel owner and all 400 level operators available must agree to a ban. A minimum of two is required. The banned parties will be allowed to defend themselves if they desire. The same group must all agree to a return. If a party is refused permission to return they shall be allowed to argue for their case before this group. A minimum of two in the group must attend.
If a party becomes a repeat offender they risk an extended ban up to a permanent ban from #SLAA. Such action will be at the discretion of the owner and 400 level operators.