you're completely right! rules are very necessary, especially for tense spaces like a vent channel, and even moreso when young teens are possibly added to the mix. the part that rules plays relies on the community working together, however, in the roles that they play. community members can ping or DM mods when something comes up, and mods can follow through to make sure that the space is following community rules for everyone while offering guidance where they can. rules work when everyone works together.
and this follows into your next point: it's not just you who jumps to helping. it's a completely normal reaction to seeing someone else in distress even when you don't know them. you might not be able to completely sympathize with a person you don't know, but you *can* genuinely empathize simply because you're both human, and you can reasonably understand that the feelings they're having aren't pleasant/feelings you'd want to experience similarly. that's usually where these situations start to fall apart and rules go by the wayside- people often jump immediately to help first and forget the rest. this isn't a bad thing, but it can lend to the chaos if it all takes place in the public where everyone can see and interact.
imaginably, you did what you could with what mental bandwidth and experience you had. we're not always equipped to deal with that kind of situation coming out of nowhere, from people who we don't know well enough to give the help they need. they were in a vulnerable place, probably dealing with things out of your wheelhouse. it sucks, but they are responsible for their feelings and expressions. the best you can do is your best.
Re: Vent Channels on Discord
you're completely right! rules are very necessary, especially for tense spaces like a vent channel, and even moreso when young teens are possibly added to the mix. the part that rules plays relies on the community working together, however, in the roles that they play. community members can ping or DM mods when something comes up, and mods can follow through to make sure that the space is following community rules for everyone while offering guidance where they can. rules work when everyone works together.
and this follows into your next point: it's not just you who jumps to helping. it's a completely normal reaction to seeing someone else in distress even when you don't know them. you might not be able to completely sympathize with a person you don't know, but you *can* genuinely empathize simply because you're both human, and you can reasonably understand that the feelings they're having aren't pleasant/feelings you'd want to experience similarly. that's usually where these situations start to fall apart and rules go by the wayside- people often jump immediately to help first and forget the rest. this isn't a bad thing, but it can lend to the chaos if it all takes place in the public where everyone can see and interact.
imaginably, you did what you could with what mental bandwidth and experience you had. we're not always equipped to deal with that kind of situation coming out of nowhere, from people who we don't know well enough to give the help they need. they were in a vulnerable place, probably dealing with things out of your wheelhouse. it sucks, but they are responsible for their feelings and expressions. the best you can do is your best.