Code of Conduct v2
Bear has a warm, welcoming community. We'd like to keep it that way. While you’re here, we ask that you treat others with kindness and respect.
Bear is two different places, and they work differently.
Your blog is yours. The discovery feed is ours.
Your blog
Your blog is your space. Your garden, your weird obsessions. Write whatever you like, however you like it. Swear. Ramble. Post four thousand words about TTRPGs. We're not going to edit your words or tell you what's worth caring about.
There are some exceptions, of course:
- Don’t spread hate or tear people down, especially over things like ethnicity, nationality, sexuality, age, gender, ability, politics, religion, or class.
- Don’t harass, troll, or stir up trouble just for kicks.
- Don't publish spam or marketing material. Bear isn't a content distribution channel.
This may result in your account being suspended.
The discovery feed
The feed is not your blog. It's the shared living room. It belongs to all of us, which means it belongs to none of us in particular.
Posts that make the feed are generally written with care. They're about something. They're curious rather than contemptuous. Something you'd be glad to have stumbled across.
Some posts may be hidden from the discovery feed to keep our shared space enjoyable for everyone. This happens very rarely. A hidden post isn't a verdict on you. It means "not in the shared room", nothing more. Your blog is untouched, your readers still get it, RSS still works.
Your posts appearing on the discovery feed is a nice thing that happens, not something you're owed, or an extension of your blog. As with all good shared spaces: Right of admission is reserved. No-one owes you a ruling on which sub-clause of the code of conduct you breached.
This is because lists of rules are nebulous. The moment I write "no gratuitous swearing", someone turns up to argue the precise definition of gratuitous. I tighten the wording. They toe the line. Now we're in an arms race, and every round makes the rules longer and the space worse.
Meanwhile the people who never needed rules quietly stop coming around. That's how nice spaces die. With good people drifting off, one at a time, not complaining at all.
Filters
Our community is diverse—different lives, different lenses. Not everyone sees the world like you do, and that’s okay. It is possible to hide blogs which you don't want to see using the filters on the discovery feed.
But what about "free speech”?
Speaking your mind and being yourself is all well and good. But creating a space that is free from harassment and abuse is rare on the internet. When push comes to shove, creating a wholesome space takes top priority. You still maintain your right to free speech, but Bear Blog doesn't have to provide the platform for it.
The world doesn't need another X.
NSFW content
NSFW content such as written erotica and nudity is permitted on the platform but needs to be hidden from the discovery feed and (depending on the level of erotica or nudity) require a custom domain. Explicitly pornographic content is not permitted.
Reports, suggestions, and questions
If you have questions, ideas on how to improve the community, and the code of conduct in general, contact Herman.
Last updated 2026-08-04