Our values
Our mission is to spread inspiration, positivity, and enlightenment through real-life stories rooted in curiosity, compassion, and knowledge. To do this, we follow these values and principles:
Be curious
Allow yourself to seek a deeper understanding and ask questions instead of accepting the straightforward explanation. Think critically and use reason to uncover what is right and wrong. Dig to find the facts, and be transparent about how you interpret those facts. Look for solutions and visionary thoughts instead of accepting a cynical and complacent view.
Choose Compassion
We all have similar ideas of happiness, joy, sorrow, and pain. We are not our religion, our nationality, our color, gender, or any other exterior identifications. If we see each other as real humans and focus on what unites us instead of separates us, it becomes difficult to hate and more accessible to sympathize. "Be kind whenever possible. It's always possible", said Dalai Lama. Most of us are not like Tibetan monks, but we can still choose the compassionate route when contributing to Duckling. If compassionate, we also make room for vulnerability, where the magic storytelling happens.
Spread knowledge
The foundation for Duckling stories is knowledge firmly rooted in science, facts, and documentation. If you can’t back your claims with documentation or facts, it’s an opinion, which is fine – but be clear about what an opinion is and what knowledge is. Be transparent about your values and align them with what you do. Examine your anecdotes to make sure your memory is correct. If you spread something false, correct it and be transparent. All of us make mistakes. Embrace when others critique your interpretation of knowledge and correct your data. This makes us all more enlightened.
Embrace diversity
There are always things to learn when you open yourself to people with different viewpoints shaped by culture or experience. Include different viewpoints in your story. Remember not to judge or frame others - It’s fair to critique causes or opinions when it’s done with compassion and respect.
Seek collaboration
There is a reason great movies have long credits. Amazing stories come from collaboration, so invite others into your work. Furthermore, almost all creations build on past work. ”Good artists copy, great artists steal," as Pablo Picasso allegedly said. You get inspired and add your version or extension to your experience, and the collective benefits and evolves. We created Duckling so you can remix other's content and collaborate on building stories. Remember to honor your inspiration, give credit, and be transparent about your process. It will make us all do better work.
Make data work for humanity
Data can be immensely beneficial for society and humans if it's collected and used the right way. This is not the case at the moment. A handful of tech giants control our collective data, and its use is opaque. At Duckling, we contribute to a better future for data, where we each own our private data and benefit from contributing data to the collective. In general, we need to ensure that technology works for all humans and not just for the few, but it all starts with data. We are building Duckling with our community, so we must all embrace this value.
Please help us eliminate:
Sharing of other people's content out of context or without consent.
Content that violates intellectual property.
False or misleading information.
Content or conduct that is sexually abusive
Harassment, hate speech, threats, and violent extremism.