contributor docs: Add How we communicate page.

docs/contributing/how-we-communicate.md

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+# How we communicate
+
+The primary communication forum for the Zulip community is the Zulip server
+hosted at [chat.zulip.org](https://chat.zulip.org/). If you are not familiar
+with it, start by reading the [Zulip development community
+section](contributing.md#zulip-development-community) of the contributing guide.
+The guidelines here also apply to how we communicate on GitHub issues and pull
+requests, but other pages in this section go into greater detail about
+expectations that are specific to pull requests.
+
+We are deeply committed to maintaining a respectful, collaborative atmosphere in
+across all interactions in the Zulip community. To get a feel for what that
+means to us, please review the [code of conduct](../code-of-conduct.md) for our
+community.
+
+Beyond that, the following guidelines should help you communicate effectively to
+express your perspective, and support and encourage other participants in the
+community. By incorporating these patterns of behavior, we'll be able to reach
+better decisions as a group, and learn and have fun along the way.
+
+## Providing suggestions and feedback
+
+- Aim to present your feedback precisely, with reasoning, and in as objective a
+  fashion as you can manage. E.g., “This button really jumps out at me in a way
+  that’s distracting; maybe it’s because of the color has a higher contrast than
+  the surrounding components?” is better than, “Can we make that color less
+  dark?”.
+
+- Clarify your feedback if there are follow-up questions or points of confusion.
+  However, avoid simply repeating the same points, as it does not move us closer
+  to making the best decisions we can.
+
+- When relevant, highlight information you have beyond your personal opinion.
+  E.g., “I moderate a community, and often have to answer questions about how
+  this works,” is more helpful than, “This is confusing.”
+
+- In addition to offering constructive feedback, call out specific things that
+  someone is doing well. This helps folks feel good about their work, and also
+  helps them learn. E.g., “I particularly like the test you added, because...”
+
+- When asking someone to do something, explain the reasoning behind your
+  request. This is more motivating, and educates folks on what to do next time.
+
+- If you are not certain about a suggestion you're making, it often works well
+  to frame it as a question. E.g., “Would this be clearer if we...?” or “Could
+  we...?”.
+
+- Invite others to disagree or contribute additional thoughts, especially if you
+  might be considered an authority in the area being discussed. When more folks
+  feel comfortable speaking up, we are better able to identify problems and
+  fine-tune solutions.
+
+## Handling disagreements
+
+- Always treat other participants in the discussion with respect, regardless of
+  whether you agree with their ideas. Ad hominem attacks are never appropriate.
+
+- Approach discussions with a perspective of curiosity. If someone has expressed
+  an opinion you find odd or surprising, ask them to explain in more detail
+  where they are coming from.
+
+- If you think someone is factually mistaken, consider how they might have reached
+  their conclusion, and aim to get to a shared understanding. E.g.:
+
+  - “I wasn't able to replicate this -- is it possible you are on an old Zulip
+    server?”, rather than “This bug report is wrong.”
+  - “Using this function won't work here, because...” instead of “That's the
+    wrong function.”
+
+- If you disagree with someone on the core team, the best way to make progress
+  is usually to state your opinions and reasoning clearly and respectfully, and
+  then let the other core team members catch up on the conversation. Other
+  project members may find your argument persuasive, and may have ideas that
+  address your concerns.
+
+## Expressing your appreciation
+
+There are many ways to contribute to the Zulip community, and it's important to
+express our appreciation for all the different ways in which folks jump in to
+help. It helps motivate others, builds consensus towards decisions, and creates
+a more positive atmosphere in the community.
+
+For many community participants, it takes stepping out their comfort zone to try
+something for the first time, such as submitting a pull request, answering a
+question in the development community, or suggesting a new feature. It's
+especially important to thank and encourage folks who are stretching themselves
+to try something new.
+
+- Remember to say “thanks” when responding to a question or suggestion. E.g.:
+
+  - “Thanks for the report! ... ” when someone reports a bug.
+  - “Thanks for reviewing my PR! ... ”
+
+- Express your appreciation for the work that went into a pull request, even
+  when it turns out that the approach taken in the PR is not successful. E.g.,
+  “Thanks for working on this! ... ”
+
+- Try especially hard to express your appreciation for others' contributions,
+  effort and ideas when you are also providing negative (constructive) feedback
+  on their work.
+
+- You can use a variety of channels to express your appreciation. A comment
+  directly in a Zulip thread or on a pull request is often best, but in some
+  cases you may also want to send a friendly PM. E.g.:
+
+  - “I've noticed that you've been answering lots of questions in #**development
+    help** lately. Thanks so much for doing that!”
+  - “Thanks for moving those messages into a new topic -- the discussion was
+    getting really tangled!”
+
+- Sometimes a quick emoji reaction can help someone feel that their work is
+  appreciated. 🎉
+
+- Look over the message you just sent. Did you forget to say “thanks”? It's easy
+  to edit your message, or send a quick follow-up.

docs/contributing/index.md

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ maxdepth: 3
 
 contributing
 ../code-of-conduct
+how-we-communicate
 asking-great-questions
 design-discussions
 commit-discipline