Setting the "rules" for online asynchronous discussions/conferences

Jürgen Habermas on Communicative Action (Habermas, 1970, 1971, 1985)

What conditions are required when people enter into an ideal speech situation? 

Firstly, people expect that the speech situation will honor the true interests of all participants in the discussion:
- all participants must receive an equal distribution of opportunities to select and use speech acts;
- all participants must have an equal chance to initiate and maintain discourse;
- all participants must have an equal chance to advance their points of view, to question ideas, and to give reasons for and against claims made in language.

Secondly, people expect that argument and debate will proceed without undue external pressures:
- all participants must accept that accidental or systematic constraints on discussion will play no part in it;
- all participants must be assured of an equal chance to express feelings, attitudes, and intentions;
- all participants must be assured of an equal chance to oppose, permit, command, instruct, forbid, and do any of the things that any other participants are entitled to do.

Thirdly, people expect that the force of argument will prevail – that the outcome of discussion will depend on the force of the better argument.

When these conditions are met, a democratic form of public discussion prevails over domination, manipulation, and control...