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+# contributing
+
+all contributions are very welcome! this is a project designed to foster
+ collaboration and so the newsletter should itself be as collaborative
+ as possible!
+
+if you have the time to contribute to an edition of the newsletter,
+ please read [the styleguide](STYLEGUIDE.md) for some ideas about
+ how the newsletter should look. then either create a pull request
+ on here or just get the content to ~jumblesale however is most
+ convenient. that's it!
+
+if you have any doubts about contributing, please just do it anyway.
+ all submissions are gratefully received.
diff --git a/STYLEGUIDE.md b/STYLEGUIDE.md
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+# styleguide
+
+## goals
+
+the goals of the newsletter are:
+
+1. to foster collaboration between people on the town
+1. to serve the town's vision of being radically inclusive
+ by boosting users who are newer / less visible
+1. to highlight the incredible quality of contributions to
+ tilde.town in whatever form, whether that is creating art
+ on a ~ page, writing software for the server or projects
+ that do not involve the terminal.
+
+if you are contributing please try to keep these in mind!
+
+## formatting
+
+### width
+
+the maximum length of a line should be 75 characters so that it
+ comfortably fits in the alpine window.
+
+### separators
+
+use 75 dashes as a content separator:
+
+```
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------
+```
+
+### headings
+
+subheadings are created using figlet with the font smslant. you can invoke
+ it all like:
+
+```bash
+figlet -f smslant tilde.town times
+```
+
+#### sub-headings
+
+I have just made them ALL CAPS!!!! but it is up to you how to format them idk
+
+## referencing other users
+
+include a link to their ~ page the first time you mention them. always 
+ use gender-neutral terms or try to use their names in place of a
+ gendered term ("jumblesale's page" rather than "his page").
+
+## spelling, grammar
+
+nobody cares just try to be honest and true to yourself. typos are welcome
+ because they are a beautiful reminder of our fallibility.