The rules of the table.

01The 5 rules

1. Attack ideas, never people. You can say an idea is wrong, weak, dangerous. You can’t say that the person who holds it is stupid or ignorant, or make fun of them for their looks, voice, accent, age or where they come from.
2. When someone else is speaking, listen. Everyone has their turn and the others are muted. Don’t ruin anyone’s turn: no noises, music, silly sounds or spam.
3. Bring arguments, not volume. Data, examples, experiences. Don’t make up sources or numbers. If you realise you said something wrong, saying so counts in your favour.
4. Admit it when someone is right. That is what the Valid point is for, even for someone who thinks the opposite. You have two per table: use them when an argument really struck you. Don’t trade it with friends and don’t hold it back to punish someone.
5. Changing your mind is allowed. Nobody makes fun of people who change their mind, and nobody has to.

02What is allowed

• Having any opinion, even an unpopular one.
• Disagreeing completely, and saying so clearly.
• Being tough on an idea: “this reasoning doesn’t hold up”.
• Irony and sarcasm about ideas, not about people.
• Talking about topics that divide people: that is why we are here.
• Not changing your mind.

These are not reasons to report someone: thinking differently from you, telling you that you are wrong, taking apart your argument, not giving you the Valid point. Feeling put on the spot by a good argument is part of debating. The app has no category for reporting an opinion.

03What is not allowed

These are the 7 categories you find when you report someone.

• Serious insults. Direct attacks on the person: “you’re an idiot”, humiliating nicknames, mocking someone’s looks or voice.
• Blasphemy. No blasphemy at the table, whatever you believe.
• Constant vulgarity. A swear word can slip out. Using them constantly, or against someone, can’t.
• Hate or discrimination. Attacks or demeaning generalisations against people because of their origin, ethnicity, nationality, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age or economic situation.
• Threats. Of violence, “I know where you live”, pushing others to harm someone. Even if you say it was a joke.
• Troll. Speaking only to provoke, make people angry or derail the table, with no interest at all in debating.
• Sabotage. Noises, music, shouting, spam, advertising, ruining turns or the vote.

And always: don’t pretend to be someone else, don’t open other accounts to get around a strike or a break, don’t lie about your age, don’t use feelya. to sell things or do paid promotion without saying so, don’t ask for or give phone numbers or private contacts to people you don’t know, and nothing the law forbids.

04Zero tolerance

For these things we don’t wait for more strikes: we close the account and, where the law requires it, we report it to the authorities.

• Sexual content involving minors, grooming, asking a minor for photos or private contacts.
• Serious and credible threats to someone’s life or physical safety.
• Publishing other people’s personal data: address, number, documents, private photos.
• Inciting violence or terrorism.

If someone talks about hurting themselves, that is not a reason to punish them. If you are the one who needs it, ask for help: in an emergency call 112. Telefono Amico answers on 02 2327 2327; if you are under 18 there is Telefono Azzurro, on 19696.

05How to report

1. Tap the flag during the debate.
2. Choose who (the person speaking is at the top) and what they are doing, from the 7 categories.
3. If you want, block them too: you won’t end up at the same table again.

Reports are anonymous: the reported person doesn’t know who reported them. You can report the same person once per table. You unblock people from Settings › Blocked users. Reporting doesn’t earn you points or rewards.

06The table vote

When you report someone, the table decides, straight away, without waiting.

• Everyone present at the table votes except the reported person. They have 60 seconds to say whether that person should leave. Nobody sees how anyone else voted.
• While the vote is on, the reported person’s microphone is off, even if it is their turn, and the table carries on.
• They leave as soon as the majority of those present vote yes. When time runs out, the majority of those who voted decides; in case of a tie, they stay.
• If they stay, their microphone comes back straight away, with no consequences.
• If they leave, they leave the table, don’t get the points for that table and receive a strike.

07Strikes and breaks

1. First strike. A warning: no break.
2. Second strike in 30 days. A one-day break: you can’t book or sit at a table.
3. From the third strike in 30 days. A one-week break, every time.

You get a notification when you receive a strike. In Settings › Strikes and reputation you see how many you have, the reason, the date and how long the break lasts. The message is always the same: it is not for what you think, it is for how you treated a person.

• When the reason is hate, discrimination or threats, a person on our team also reviews the report. If they don’t confirm it, the strike doesn’t count.
• For serious or repeated cases a person on our team can suspend or close the account.

08In-person lobbies

The rules are the same when you debate in the same room. The host runs the show: gives the floor, pauses and can remove from the lobby anyone who doesn’t follow them.

09Review

If you think a strike, a break, a suspension or the closure of your account is wrong, ask for a review from the app (Settings › Strikes and reputation › Not fair? Ask for a review, which opens an email) or by writing to hello@feelya.it.

• You have 6 months from the decision.
• A person on our team reviews it and replies with a reasoned decision.
• If we agree with you, we lift the break.

The other routes described in the terms always remain open: an out-of-court dispute settlement body or the courts.

10If you are under 18

• feelya. can be used from age 14 in Italy. In other countries the minimum age ranges from 14 to 18, depending on the law: it is set out in the terms.
• Online tables are not split by age: you may end up debating with adults too. There are no private messages, and don’t give your contact details to anyone. Optional notifications don’t arrive after 22:00.
• Lying about your age is a reason to suspend or close the account.
• Parents and teachers can write to us at hello@feelya.it.

11What we do

• We don’t moderate opinions. We moderate behaviour.
• We don’t record or transcribe what is said at the table.
• Every year we will publish how many reports we receive, how many strikes we give and how many reviews we uphold.
• These rules apply to everyone, including people with lots of points, lots of followers or a high grade.