# Member Rules: Conversations

**General Guidelines:**

* If you are the first to arrive at one of our meetups, that's great! Go ahead and take a look around the shop, and see if there's a free spot available that can accommodate a larger group. If there's one available, grab it! That way, people in the meetup will be able to sit closer together.
* Since our Rotating Coffee Crawl frequently involves smaller coffee shops, seating can sometimes be a bit tight. It's rare that our group will be completely unable to find a seat, but if it does happen, please keep an eye on the Event Chat on Meetup - a new location will be posted there.
* If a new person arrives, please make them feel welcome. Pause your conversation, introduce yourself, and ask for their name. Feel free to continue your conversation, but bring the newcomer into it also!

**Conversation Topics / Behavior Guidelines:**

This meetup isn't restricted to a particular theme (aside from enjoying coffee), so we can have conversations that go in all sorts of directions. We've touched on video games, favorite hiking trails, cuisine/restaurants, career growth, art/music, other meetups, and plenty more.

Topics that are divisive or political in nature are to be avoided. Many of us come to these meetups because we're looking for a place to relax, unwind, and set aside the things that cause us stress and discomfort. It's understandable that the natural flow of the conversation may occasionally touch on a sensitive topic, but we've found that it's best to pivot away from such topics in order to ensure that everyone present is comfortable.

Any individual who attends the group in bad faith (e.g. attempting to "stir up chaos" or force attendees to weigh in on sensitive topics) will be given a warning to cease such behavior, followed by a permanent ban from the group should the behavior continue. If the case is particularly egregious, the warning will be skipped and the ban will be implemented immediately as per organizer discretion. Please reach out to an organizer if you have questions about this.

With that said, if you've read these guidelines and are ready to come with a positive attitude and an open mind, chances are that you'll be an awesome part of our group and we will looking forward to hanging out with you over a coffee.