Your feedback needed: Updating our Community Guidelines

[ArraDreaming]

@espressologic I actually these guidelines are really clear and make sense and opposite to what other people are saying the repetition I can see would be a problem and is not solution / recovery focussed…. and I guess we are a community as well so you do kind of move around and read other threads (well that’s the idea) but even if you don’t if someone kept saying the same thing to multiple people if we were in a room together it would be give me the shits tbh, so I guess it can get repetitive if someone is sharing the same thing multiple times on multiple threads, I mean the occasional “I went to the footy” like general convo is fine but yeah I dont reckon repeating what has upset and that you are feeling a bit garbage is helpful so I do see the logic behind that rule…
I think they make sense and are clear

[ArraDreaming]

if anything maybe a little wordy, but yeah not too bad @espressologic

[espressologic]

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I am going to post a revised version later today incorporating this, and we will leave the thread open for another few weeks.

[espressologic]

The SANE Forums are a mutual self-help space for people aged over 18 and living in Australia.  We welcome individuals seeking peer support, connection, or belonging, including those with lived mental health experiences, caregivers, supporters, and allies.

Here are our guidelines for participating:

The Guideline	Why Do We Have It?	What Does It Mean?
Seek Emergency Help Off-Forum	To ensure members seek appropriate help in crisis situations, as the forums are not able to provide emergency support.	If you're in immediate danger due to suicide, self-harm or family violence, please contact emergency services instead of posting to the forum.
Limit Detailed Descriptions	To avoid triggering other members by steering clear of explicit content related to suicide, self-harm, trauma, abuse, eating disorders and medication.	Talk about your experiences generally without going into specifics that might upset others, such as self-harm and suicide methods, traumatic or abusive episodes, eating disorder behaviours, medication names and dosages.
Be Supportive To Others	To encourage a supportive atmosphere where help-seeking is promoted and harmful behaviours are discouraged.	Avoid discouraging other members from seeking help, or encouraging harmful behaviour such as self-harm or substance abuse.
Tell The Community What You Need	To promote discussions that support recovery and personal well-being, even on the tough days.	When posting about the tough days, tell the community what support you need. Let the community know what has worked for you in the past.
Report Posts If You’re Worried	To maintain a safe space by addressing posts that moderators might miss, ensuring community standards are upheld.	If a post seems inappropriate or you’re worried about someone’s welfare, please report it so our team can take the necessary action.
Be Friendly At All Times	To ensure all discussions are conducted respectfully, making all members feel safe and welcomed.	Avoid saying things that are disrespectful, rude, hurtful or could make someone feel unwelcome.
Complaints About Named Services	To encourage members to address complaints directly with the services involved to ensure effective resolution. General discussions about experiences remain acceptable.	If you have a specific issue with a service, please contact them directly to resolve it. You can discuss your overall experiences here without naming the service.
Pressure On Others	To ensures that all members feel comfortable with how and when they choose to engage, without feeling pressured to respond.	Refrain from tagging members with demands for responses or questioning why they haven’t replied.
Self-Promotion and Solicitation	To keep the forum focused on support rather than commercial or professional gain.	We will remove any posts trying to sell products, look for clients or promote your own research projects.
Sharing Credible Information	Ensuring that factual claims made are backed up with evidence, as many members rely on the forum to find health information.	When sharing health information or making a factual claim, please link to the source.
Avoid Repeat Posts	To make sure each post is meaningful and fits the discussion it’s in.	You can repeat advice when relevant, but avoid posting the same or similar messages across different threads without considering the ongoing conversation.
Respond To Moderator Emails	To ensure you are safe and to maintain your access to the forum.	When you receive an email from us asking about your safety, please respond otherwise we may be obligated to escalate to emergency services.
Choose A Unique Username	To protect members' identities by discouraging the use of identifiable usernames.	Choose a username for the forums that keeps your real-life identity and other social media accounts private.
Staying Anonymous	To protect members from privacy breaches and potential real-world consequences.	Avoid sharing personal details in posts that could be used to identify you offline.

We will edit or remove posts that break these guidelines, and we will email you to let you know this has happened.  We will also explain our decision and, if appropriate, provide advice on how you can re-post safely within the guidelines.

For members who repeatedly break guidelines, then we may take any of the following actions:

• Place limits on the number of posts you can make
• Place limits on when you can use the forums
• Remove your forums access for a period of time
• Remove your forums access permanently

[espressologic]

Tagging members who have provided feedback previously @NatureLover @Snowie @Dimity @PinkFlamingo @Zoe7 @Appleblossom @Captain24 @Shaz51 @ArraDreaming 

[Dimity]

Hi @espressologic 

Many thanks. Congratulations. The new guidelines come across as kind and welcoming, clear and informative,  protective and supportive. I'm humbled by your taking on board so many of my suggestions, and going over and above with their development. I guess they make me feel safe... 

[Snowie]

Thanks for the tag @espressologic 

I think the guidelines look good.

[Shaz51]

I think the guidelines look good tooo @espressologic 👍

[Captain24]

Thank you for the tag  @espressologic 

I really appreciate the work involved in re-tweaking the guidelines. I feel that they are more welcoming

[PinkFlamingo]

Thanks for the tag @espressologic 🙂

the updated guidelines are clear, use concrete/single-definition terminology, and are most importantly very explanatory in nature (instead of appearing somewhat dictatorial and without explanation). The layout is much easier to comprehend when in brain overload or states of distress, making them easier to comprehend if mods need to refer someone to guidelines due to posting behaviours (I’m guessing posting posts that may lay outside guidelines happens when someone is in moments of distress, maybe? So having clear, explanatory guidelines for people means their engagement isn’t compromised by finding them too difficult to understand when not in their optimal place of function). 

I guess the only other thing to add would be: if ever you have any questions or are unsure about these guidelines, we encourage you to contact the forum moderators/community managers/team SANE forum team (etc - which ever definition used for the SANE mods) at …. email address, and we would be happy to reply within (and include your standardised reply timeframes) to support your engagement with the SANE inclusive and supportive Forum community. 

..or, something like that, would be my recommendation

🦩💜🌺