In addition to our Code of Conduct, we've also written what we're calling a Good Citizen Guide which isn't a set of rules but gives you some advice on how to be a better member of the PROCJAM community.
Good Citizen Guide
PROCJAM is designed for everyone to find a creative groove and have fun, whether you're making your very first bit of generative software, or you're experimenting with your hundredth! If you're talking to other people in our community and want to know how to make PROCJAM a nicer place, we have a few recommendations. These aren't rules - just advice we have about making the most of our community.
+ Be respectful of other people's expertise. Lots of us have been trained to look down on people from other disciplines (like scientists who scoff at "liberal arts majors" or artists who laugh at programmers trying to be creative). PROCJAM is full of people from every discipline you can think of, so keep an open mind and try to learn from everyone!
+ Not everyone is here for criticism. It's great to discuss your work with other people and improve your skills, but everyone has different goals, and everyone is working at a different level of experience. Think twice before pointing out mistakes or improvements - consider asking people if they want advice before giving it.
+ If you want people to download and look at what you make, do the same to them! When the jam is over, make sure you try out other people's entries and leave a comment. It'll make them happy to know someone looked at what they made, and they'll probably click on your name to see what you've done too!
+ Share your work and knowledge. It's easy to feel like our work doesn't matter when we see top artists and programmers doing amazing things. But everyone's experiences and work are important, and generative software needs more people to write about it! Consider starting a blog about your PROCJAM experience, open-sourcing your code online, or submitting an article to Seeds in 2019 about what you did!
+ Amplify people on the margins. There are lots of people who are marginalised because of their gender, nationality, race or otherwise, as well as lots of people nervously trying to join this community for the first time (these are often the same people!) Share their work with others, celebrate their achievements and be kind and welcoming. Remember that many people are struggling with problems you can't easily see or understand.
+ Help out or mentor people if you can. Especially if you're established or experienced in one particular field or area, mentoring can have a huge effect on people's lives. Be careful - often the people most in need of help will have trouble asking for it. Consider posting on forums or Discord or Twitter with your details and what you can offer people. Even a little bit of guidance or feedback can go a long way.
We'll be adding to this guide in the future - let us know if you have any thoughts on what to add! Thanks to Emily Short for suggestions of extra points to add.