Importance Of Being Welcoming In The Chatrooms~ A Reminder

Hey hey everyone coming across. I hope this post finds you doing well.💛

Today, I'd like to discuss an important topic and reiterate a necessary reminder for the community. 

“Importance of being welcoming in the chatrooms” 

I think this forum within the Group support community is a well-suited space. (Click to join and check out cool information related to chatrooms) 

I am certain, many of us have seen this as a recurring message around here, to be welcoming and inclusive, be kind etc.

And this post is yet another attempt to emphasize on what a massive difference it makes to have a welcoming space that is inclusive and comfortable for everyone.🥰

We've all been new to this community once, and can relate with the “first time” jitters of entering and interacting in a chatroom. (Yes?)

A group chatroom which has multiple conversations happening, many people sometimes, people from different walks in life. It's natural to feel nervous in being new to/at something, or with many of us who struggle with social anxiety, being in a chatroom space can be even more dreadful at times.

But do you remember the first few “hello”s or “welcome to the room” or “welcome to the community” you received? The kindness you've recieved, people actually taking time to notice you, make you feel seen, asking you about your day or simply trying to make some conversation with you.

Well, I certainly do, and those first few hellos, and welcoming greetings have been pivotal in my liking for chat rooms plus my interest in opting for chat room-based leadership roles here. 

It was a very welcoming feeling to receive a hello, just to have someone notice you entered the room (big ups for the tech team to have this cool feature that announces our arrival in chatrooms) and your presence, inviting you to participate in whatever conversation or discussion being taken place, or simply to initiate a conversation with you helping you feel more included and encouraged to engage!

I also remember the times when I enter chatroom(s) and get no hellos or anything welcoming, and it definitely isn't a nice feeling to experience. Almost makes one ask “hey did you see me?” lol. I think sometimes we even lose the motivation to engage in a chatroom, if the atmosphere doesn't feel as welcoming to us.

Not just for when we are new though, I think even as we get to spend more time here, for however long we've been here, there's all kinds of experiences~ the good ones, the bad ones. 

Today though, we'd like to highlight more on the importance of inclusivity in our group chatrooms, plus discuss ways on practicing it here, hopefully make our experience in the chatroom(s) better. 

This goes for everyone, whether you're a teen account or an adult;  listener, a member, a moderator; whether you're new here or a regular chatroom participant, whether you hold any leadership roles here or not.

To sum, What makes being a Welcoming and Inclusive space important for us?

♡ It creates a sense of belonging and acceptance making peers feel valued and included.

♡ Welcoming space creates room for open communication, that enable engaging conversations.

♡ It promotes a positive and supportive environment for everyone involved and fosters a sense of community and connection amongst peers.

♡ It helps in breaking barriers, and fostering a safe space for people across different walks in life to feel respected and heard.

♡ When a space is inclusive, there's minimal accounts of bullying, harassing or mis-behavior of any kind. 

♡ Yes, please if you have more to add here, go ahead. 

How to create a welcoming and inclusive space, for yourself and others, virtually?

♡ Be mindful of following the guidelines

and structure laid out for participants. 

♡ Use inclusive language and avoid mis-gendering your peers. 

♡ It's possible you jell with someone more than others or know them better due to frequent interactions, however in group chats, it's best to hold space and make use of dialogs that involve other people too. 

♡ The extreme basic, welcome people when you see them entering to the chatroom. A simple “Hello @TheirUsername, welcome to the room” goes a long way. Bonus points for introducing them to the topic in the room (if any) and inviting them to join the conversation.

♡ If you're feeling extra-kind someday, throw in some icebreakers and conversation starters, that more people can feel encouraged to join. 

♡ Greet. Introduce. Share Resources.

♡ If there's a conflict-like situation arising, it's always best to not-engage plus seek support from an available mod on shift or a chatroom leader, available.

♡ Do not engage in exclusive, cliquey behavior that may be unwelcoming for others in the room. 

♡ Be kind, be caring, be respectful, be supportive, be your awesome self. 

♡ Something's missing? Please feel free to add! 

Remember, it starts from *you*. We are a part of this huuuge community and there most definitely isn't any “community” without *you* and *I* in it. Every step counts. 

Ooh and leaders sure are here to facilitate the supprtive spaces, but it is a collective effort still, you most definitely, do not need to be an "official" leader here to show way around or make a positive difference. 💗

I'm a firm believer in leading with example.

If I enter a chatroom and receive no greetings, there's three ways to go about it, I feel:

#1 Complain (easiest ever, right?!) and jump to the conclusion that chatrooms aren't for me. 

#2 Consider that, there might have been a techy issue with my arrival not being announced or that due to the fast paced conversations, people might not have noticed and then take a deep breath and greet everyone, follow with an introduction or add in a conversation starter.

#3 Do all that in #2 plus ensure no one else experiences what I did and make sure to greet everyone who enters after me. 

(This is all tried, tested and true)

So which one you're choosing? Also if there's a #4 in your mind, please do share. (Perhaps a combination of #1 and #3 haha? ~ only kidding😛) 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the same plus have some questions for you to reflect on.💗

1. What is your understanding of practicing inclusivity in chatrooms?

2. Have you been in a chatroom recently? What kind of difference does it make for you, to receive a warm greeting?

3. What's your goto way of welcoming someone entering the room?

4. Tag any peers you find most welcoming and kind in the chatrooms and give them a little shout out for leading with example! (You can also appreciate your peers anytime using the peer appreciation form)

Finally, here's a little activity for everyone-

Spend some time in a chatroom in near future when you can and welcome at least 5 people when you see them entering plus engage in ice breakers/ conversational dialog, then feel free to share your experience later in the thread.

We'd love to hear about the new friendships and supportive bonding here. 💗

A lot of helpful resources and additional information included in the clickable blue text throughout, and some more (because why not?! 😃), as follows: 

☆ Welcoming Users to 7 cups (a quick guide)

☆ Supportive Phrases and Questions for Member Chatrooms!

☆ Say NO to Cliques (accessible on a listener-account only)

☆ Have another awesome resource/ forum post that should be included in this list? Share below!💛