Rules (DON'Ts):

1. No use of explicit, obscene or vulgar language or images and/or messages, including racist remarks (in this free forum).

2. No posts that attack, insult, "flame", or abuse members or guests. Respect other members of the community and don’t belittle, make fun off, or insult another member. Decisions about health and well-being are highly personal, individual choices. "Flaming" and insults, however, will not be tolerated. Agree to disagree. This applies to both the forums and chat.

3. No advertising or links to advertising or "Spam" is permited (including signatures).
Advertising or Spam is defined as posting a link for the purpose of selling, soliciting or promoting by someone that has ownership or other "vested interest" to the web site involved, including efforts to promote other online forums or web sites by web site owners.
If you are a web site owner and have a link that fits into this category that you want to share, please submit it to our resource directory and we will review your submission.
Posts and links about fundraising (including nonprofit fundraisers) are NOT permitted.
Only links to personal home pages are allowed in signatures and member profiles. Links must be appropriate and abide by rules #1-4 or they will be removed.
Links to helpful web sites (commercial or otherwise) are allowed when they are posted by someone without any "vested interest" AND whose purpose is NOT to solicit, advertise, promote, fundraise, etc.
5. No posts regarding research studies, surveys or clinical trials without obtaining prior approval from the forum administrator before posting to the forums.

5. No links to any web site or use of any username that fits into rules # 1-4 above.

6. No use of multiple usernames. Please register and use only one username for the forums. Posting under multiple user accounts will result in administrative action (ie. banning).


7. No posts of lengthy articles. Sharing information is allowed, but the forums are not to be used to publish articles. It is an improper use of critical forum resources.


8. No cryptic posts. Using cryptic messages to "skirt" the rules is not permitted.

9. If it shouldn’t be viewed by minors, then it shouldn’t be posted to the forums or chat rooms. This is a public, family-friendly forum. In addition, if something would not be considered “work safe” (to a boss or co-worker), then it shouldn’t be posted.

10. Do not disrespect moderators. Be respectful in both the forums and any private communications with moderators. Moderators are volunteers that donate many, many hours of their own time to help in the forums and chat rooms. Violations of this rule will not be tolerated.

11. No SHOUTING. Remember, using ALL CAPITAL LETTERS in posts is considered yelling and rude, plus it is difficult to read.

12. Do not post offline personal contact information (ie. your home address, phone numbers etc.) and do not ask for personal information from others. Modify your member profile in the Control Panel (VIEW IMAGE) at the top left corner of the forum to set privacy settings for your account. Use of full names (your first and last name) is allowed but strongly discouraged. This is to protect your security and identity.

13. No duplicate posts. To delete accidental duplicate posts, login first, then open the message you want to delete, then select the Delete Post button (VIEW IMAGE) on the top right hand corner of the message box.

14. No irrelevant or off-topic posts. Posts which are not relevant to the forum topic may be deleted at the moderator's discretion.

15. No lengthy signatures. Limit signatures to 10 lines or less. Moderators will edit and/or remove signatures that are too long.

Guidelines (DO's):

1. Check for open topics. Before posting a new topic, please check to see if there is already a topic open on the subject.

2. Ignore bothersome members. If there is someone on the forum that bothers you, select the Ignore button (VIEW IMAGE) at the top right corner of the post. You won't see any posts from this member again.

3. Report posts that violate the rules and guidelines by selecting the Admin alert button (VIEW IMAGE) at the top right corner of the post to notify the administrator. We will act on the report as quickly as we can. Do not reply to the offending post as that typically only encourages the poster.

4. Use good judgement. NEVER rely on information or opinions exchanged via the forums or chat rooms to replace necessary, personal consultation(s) with qualified health or medical professionals to meet your individual health or medical needs. Remember that what's right or has worked for one person may not be what's right for you.

5. Lend a helping hand. A bit of compassion can go a long way toward helping people with life's challenges and reaching out can help alleviate feelings of loneliness. We're all different, but we're really all the same. At sometime or another, we all need or want help or simply someone with whom we can share our burdens or successes.

6. Don't be afraid to share. If you're feeling alone or hurting, don't be afraid to share your fears and tears. If you're rejoicing about the results of a recent medical test or treatment, share that too.

7. new members. When newcomers arrive, say "hi" and them. Help new folks "learn the ropes" about how to find information and resources, save time, and how to get involved. You will also find a lot of help using the forums themselves.

8. Use descriptive titles for new posts. Avoid "generic" post subjects like "Help" or "Question". You will receive a better response to your posts by being more descriptive about the content of your post.



Rules and guidelines may change at any time, please re-read them regularly.