While Ameliorate is in Alpha, it's expected to change a lot; feel free to mention out-of-date docs, or ideas for improvement
Discourse Sessions

Discourse Sessions

A discourse session is a session during which a small group discusses a chosen issue, using Ameliorate to reflect the discussion, keep it focused, and get people on the same page.

Purpose

These sessions are a fun way to:

  • improve understanding of the topic
  • understand each others’ perspectives on the topic
  • see how Ameliorate can work
  • consider how Ameliorate can be improved

What does a session look like?

Sessions are expected to evolve as they’re used more, but this is what they currently look like:

  • Groups of 3-6
  • 2 hours total: a few minutes at the beginning for introductions, ~75 minutes for discussion, and the rest of the time for reflecting on how things went
  • Use the “Discourse Session” voice channel in the Ameliorate Discord server to discuss with voice chat (facilitator will likely share video, but participants can do what they’re comfortable with)
  • Someone (probably the organizer) facilitates, i.e. shares their screen and builds an Ameliorate diagram as discussion progresses (screen sharing is necessary until this is done)
  • Throughout discussion, breaks may be taken for participants to choose their own scores for the diagram (to quickly convey their opinions), or to research the topic for a few minutes

A Google Doc is typically used to guide the session - here is the template doc for that.

Past sessions

You can find docs used for previous discussions here.

Joining a session

We’d love to have you join a discourse session! In order to get in on the fun, you can join the discourse mailing list to receive invites.

When a session is going to happen, an organizer will send an email with a poll for choosing the topic and time for the session - fill this out if you’d like to join. A follow-up email will be sent with the chosen topic and time.

Before attending

  • Read through the project’s Code of Conduct - we might be discussing controversial topics, and we all want to enjoy respect
  • Make sure you’re able to join the Ameliorate Discord server and are ready to use the “Discourse Session” voice channel
  • Create an Ameliorate account
  • Step through the ~5 minute tutorials for Viewers (open the app to any topic, perhaps this one, and click the question mark) or read through Getting Started
Diagramming ChoicesRelease Status
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