Please see the update below from Baroness Anne / Brigid Costello, SCA Social Media Officer.
Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback on the Social Media Policy. To address some identified formatting issues, the published version will be updated this week.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the Scope of the SCA Social Media Policy?
The Social Media Policy applies when you are acting on official SCA social media channels. Part of the policy also applies if you are interacting in an SCA context with other SCA participants i.e. on an SCA unofficial specialty interest group such as armour or pre-17th century costuming or if your profile could be seen to create a direct connection with the SCA.
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Is the SCA looking at my personal Social media sites?
The only aspect of the policy which applies to people’s personal pages or online conduct outside official channels is the consideration of whether or not it is bullying, abusive, harassment, or hate speech, or a threat to the well-being of others if a profile could be seen to create a direct connection with the SCA. (Definitions can be found in the Society Seneschal’s Handbook, p. 40, Section XIX and Corpora p. 37, X.A.4 ).
As long as you aren’t posting that kind of content, the policy won’t impact your personal social media use. You can post you love the latest DC film, share your opinion on regional politics, say that you think the SCA Social Media Policy sucks or that all peers are made of custard (as a participant, you’re entitled to criticize how the SCA Inc runs the game) and we won’t care.
Basically, if you wouldn’t interact with a person like that at an event, don’t do it online.
What happens if I breach the Social Media Policy?
Violation of the Social Media Policy may result in:
Your posts on official channels being managed. This might look like:
* Public and/or private warnings: This includes moderator posts in the comments of threads, Private Messages (PMs) to individuals, and general posts in official channels.
* Deletion of posts/comments in official channels
For more serious breaches of the policy:
In more significant cases in official channels, a participant may:
* Have their ability to post suspended for a set time
* Be removed from the channel temporarily or permanently
* Be subject to official Sanctions as per Corpora and the Sanction Procedures and policies
Sanctions are the responsibility of the Office of the Seneschal.
Who enforces the Social Media Policy?
Social Media Officers, in conjunction with the relevant Seneschal, are responsible for managing the Social Media Policy. Sanctions are the responsibility of the Office of the Seneschal.
Why can’t I post fundraisers on official SCA social media channels?
Only official SCA fundraisers can be shared on official SCA social media channels. This has been a Society for Creative Anachronism Inc. policy for several years now. Please see SCA Financial policy or talk to the Office of the Exchequer for what fundraisers are allowed.
Does the restriction about posting content required by Corpora restrict people from talking about events in the future, including event planning on social media?
No. It prevents people from publishing and promoting events on official SCA channels which have not been approved through the appropriate channels. This has been a Society for Creative Anachronism Inc. policy for several years now.
Does the restriction of posting about unofficial events mean I can’t tell people about museum lectures or other educational classes that might be of interest?
No, these types of posts are clearly related to the educational nature of the SCA. They should be clearly identified as not being sponsored by the SCA but they can be shared on official social media channels.
Does SCA Inc. expect unofficial channels to enforce this policy?
Nope. Behavior on an SCA related unofficial channel may be used as part of a pattern of behavior if people are bullying, abusive, harassing, using hate speech, or threatening the well-being of others in an SCA context. That’s it.
Based on this policy, can SCA Inc. take away my SCA name?
Nope. Your SCA name belongs to you. We can use it to demonstrate your connection to the SCA and that’s it. This will only be an issue if you are bullying, abusive, harassing, using hate speech, or threatening the well-being of others.
Why can’t I just use ‘SCA’ and ‘Society for Creative Anachronism’ when I want to?
‘Society for Creative Anachronism’ and ‘SCA’ are trademarked by the Society for Creative Anachronism Inc. and the SCA reserves its rights to manage the use of these trademarks.
The policy information session will be held on afternoon/evening of 28 May 2021. Timings are currently being confirmed.
Further feedback on the policy should be sent to socialmedia@sca.org.
Brigid Costello
Social Media Officer