Community
Principles
House rules for the floor.
01
Attack ideas, not people
You may argue that a policy is unjust, unworkable, or poorly evidenced. You may not argue that the person across from you is stupid, evil, or disposable.
02
No harassment
Repeated unwanted contact, pile-ons, sexual harassment, and intimidation are out of bounds. One conversation is a match, not a hunting license.
03
No threats
Threats of violence, or jokes that reasonably read as threats, end the conversation and the account in a future version of this product.
04
No slurs
Slurs and dehumanizing language are not “edgy speech.” They are a way of refusing to argue.
05
No doxxing
Do not share someone’s private information, workplace, school, or family details. Counterpart is designed so you do not need a last name to think together.
06
Do not intentionally spread misinformation
You will get facts wrong. Correct yourself. What we forbid is knowingly passing along claims you know are false in order to score a point.
07
Engage the strongest version of the other argument
If you need a cartoon of the other side to defeat it, you have not defeated it. Ask what would make their view make sense to a sincere person.
08
Disagreement is expected
You are here because you do not already agree. Polite sameness is not the product.
09
Changing your mind is optional
You can leave with the same vote and a better map of why someone else votes otherwise. That is a success.
10
Understanding is the goal
There is no winner, no clap score, and no ranking of orators. If both people can explain the other view fairly, the round did its job.