Welcome fellow Interintellect!
This is a place where you can learn some basics tips about how to use the ii’s buzzing community forum.
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If you ever came to hang out at our Host Training sessions, you know we like to describe Interintellect as consisting of a Stage and a Backstage ?
The Stage consists of the ii Salons and everything public-facing.
The Backstage is, among other things, our members-only events and our community forum, hosted on Discord, where fascinating discussions and connections happen all day long 🌇
This guide is about making the most of the Backstage.
Table of Contents
Getting Started
Accessing the Forum
Starting in March 2021, access to the ii Discord is granted through Interintellect subscriptions or by becoming an active ii Host.
See Joining the ii Community for more details, including subscription plans 🚀
Once you’ve signed up, you will get an invitation link to our Discord server. You will need to either download the Discord app on your device, or use Discord directly in your web browser.
Where to Begin Once You’re In
Joining an active forum can be a bit overwhelming. Feeling like it’s the first day at school? Don’t worry, you’re not alone! Here’s what we suggest you check out when you first enter the ii Discord.
NEW! We now have the #👀 forum_digest channel for a weekly recap of what’s happening in the forum and what events are coming up on that day.
The #📝 info_and_conduct channel contains links to useful resources on the functioning of the ii.
The #👋 new_members_intros channel is where you should write first! Introduce yourself — who you are, where you live, what you’re working on, etc. You can also link to your Twitter or personal website and tell us what Salons you’ve attended so far!
Speaking of which, head to the personal channels of Hosts whose Salons you’ve attended. Some Salon series also have their dedicated channels, so be sure to check those out if you’re attending a series.
Your Name and Avatar
Our community is built on trust. Therefore, we ask that members, as much as possible, use their real name and a picture of themselves as their avatar.
You can change your nickname by right-clicking on the Interintellect server button to the left, or on the Interintellect server name at the top.
Unfortunately, if you’re on multiple Discord servers, there is no way to change your avatar only for one server at the moment. You can change your Discord-wide avatar in your user settings.
In some rare cases, our members chose to create a new Discord account just for the ii so they can be with us under their real names.
(We have made two exceptions from this rule so far: two female fellow Interintellects who are well-known under artistic pseudonyms on the internet are in the community under these pseudonyms.)
ii Forum Structure
A Discord server is organized in multiple channels (sometimes called rooms). Most are text-based, while some are voice-based. Here is an overview of the ii Discord’s channel structure.
For more information on Discord in general, see this beginner’s guide on the Discord website.
Notifications
By default, you won’t receive notifications from any channels unless you are mentioned directly. We encourage you to activate the notifications on the channels you are most interested in if you don’t want to miss anything.
Similarly, you can mute channels you don’t care about. Considering the large number of channels, we in fact encourage you to do this to craft the best Discord experience for yourself!
General Channels
This section contains various channels of general interest. Notable channels include:
- The #📢 announcements channel is used by the ii Team to, well, announce any important changes in the ii, upcoming events, and so on. Be sure to check it from time to time!
- The #👀 forum_digest to get a summary of the best content in the forum each day
- The #📝 info_and_conduct and #👋 new_members_intros channels as mentioned above
- The #🗓 salons channel lists all upcoming events when they’re posted on the website
- The #💻 site_feedback is a good place to leave comments on the ii website during its ongoing development
Voice Channels
The ☕ ii Café is the main place to hang out with anyone in the community. Hosts can additionally access the 🛋 Host Lounge.
You can jump into a voice channel at any time, but we do have a few informal meetups scheduled. Some are recurring, such as the Mini Mental Health Check-In every Thursday. You can use this form to schedule an informal meetup.
Event Channels
Each ii Host has their own Host channel that is created after they have hosted their first Salon. We post documentation from Salons there, including screenshots, links, and Zoom chats. This is a good place for any follow-up discussion with the Host or other attendees.
If you are a Host, we highly recommend activating notifications on your own Host channel!
Most series also have their dedicated series channel. These are especially useful for series attendees who want to keep in touch with each other and keep track of the series. You can organize informal reading or study sessions there to prepare for the next episode!
There are also a few channels dedicated to facilitating Salon hosting:
- #find_your_cohost
- #how_to_host
- #salon_topic_ideas
Thematic and Location Channels
We have a number of channels for sharing and discussing ideas, personal writing, media and commentary about various topics, from philosophy to engineering to pets.
Please don’t hesitate to engage with your favorite topics 📚
We also have channels based on physical locations — cities, regions, or countries. We usually create these channels when we notice there are several Interintellects in a given location. Feel free to use them to meet fellow community members in your area!
Some examples:
If you think a channel should exist but doesn’t yet, just contact one of the admins. They will likely ask you to “demonstrate interest” — you can do this by posting in a channel of your liking and see if it gets a lot of engagement.
Private Rooms
Private channels are not visible by default, but you can request to be added to them by contacting an admin. They are:
- #🤫 secret — for very confidential discussion
- #🌈 lgbtqi — a safe space for people from sexual and gender minorities
- #💋 singles_mingle — a place for singles who are open to new relationships
- #🐇 psychedelic — for the discussion of the psychedelic tradition
- #🔢 asd_support — a space for neurodiverse people
Additionally, the #💚 host_greenroom is a private channel accessible to all ii Hosts for discussing all things hosting.
If you have an idea for the addition of a new private channel, you can contact an admin. We will announce any new private channels in #📢 announcements, and add them to the above list.
Roles
Roles in Discord determine your access to certain channels.
You can read more about the roles here.
Etiquette
To make the most of your forum experience and put everyone at ease, please follow these principles.
- Review the Discord conduct guidelines
- As mentioned above, use your real name and an avatar that represents you
- Don’t hesitate to use direct messages (DMs) to get to know your fellow Interintellects. Some people report that the ii is an excellent place to create meaningful 1-on-1 friendships.
- You can also send friend requests on Discord. This is necessary if you want to create group DMs.
- Respect people’s boundaries. Do not pester people who do not respond.
Lastly, some tips from our Twitter account:
Enjoy the community, make friends, have fun!