[CLUE-Adm] Speaker Guidelines

[Kevin Cullis]

Lynn Danielson wrote:
> myself with some tactics for dealing with this.  If anybody
> on the list has suggestions for how to handle the situations
> Dave's mentioned (some assertively worded comments perhaps?)
> please speak up.

Basically, ask the audience to act like adults!! I don't mind the
occasional quip or joke, but I shudder when it gets personal and
childish.  We can escalate how we handle it in a number of ways, such
as:

1. Ask to offender to act like an adult
2. If they continue, ask them to leave
3. If they still continue, ban them from coming back.

The key issue is when things get personal and attacking a person. 
That's doesn't mean the we have to be politically correct, but when an
attack is specifically against someone that's when we should act.  The
levels of correction are:

1. Gently remind the person
2. Admonish the person
3. Reprove the person
4. Rebuke or reprimand the person
5. Remove the person

Vulgar language should not be allowed, but I've not heard any against
anyone. But the personal attacks like David suggested should be
limited.  We should also ask the group to help police the members so
that it doesn't fall on only one person's shoulders.

> 
> One thought that comes to mind is to try preempting the problem
> by making a request to the audience before (or while) introducing
> the speaker, asking the audience to show respect for the speaker,
> and to hold their questions and comments until the end of the
> presentation.  Again, any suggestions for how to word such a
> statment would be appreciated.

We should outline what we expect on our web site and state HOW one
should disagree by prefacing their comments with certain terms so that
we can help them correctly express their disagreements without getting
hostile.

$0.02

Kevin