Thanks Christina, I really like the angles you’ve taken here, about when it makes sense to gatekeep, and what can and cannot be tolerated, as well as ways to avoid disruption. You’re right, of course, that it is not really fair to respond to someone bases on past behavior. In the particular case I was blogging about above, it worked out alright after some public and private conversations with some of us, including doing what you suggested here: explain what the community is about and what the ‘rules’ are… Though of course any laying of rules is an exertion of power, and makes the new person feel excluded at first… But I can live with that, as long as we remain ‘open in other ways’ as you say.