Post by Admin on Jun 3, 2015 17:47:54 GMT
These are the initial rules for opening day. They might undergo change and revision at a later time. A notification will be posted whenever there are changes to the rules. But for now, these are to help us operate smoothly.
1) Be polite. We are all in different stages of treatment, and sometimes we're not able to verbalize what we mean clearly. Instead of jumping to the worst conclusions, gently ask for clarification. If someone gets agitated, let it go. We all have our bad days, let's try to understand that.
2) MET UP is not affiliated with any religion. Religion is like a penis. It's a fine thing for one to have and take pride in, but when you pull it out and wave it in the faces of others, we have a problem. Not everyone holds the same religious beliefs as you; do not assume that someone else does. An atheist might not welcome offerings of prayer, where a Christian might be uncomfortable with offerings made to other gods in their name.
3) MET UP is not affiliated with any political party, although we might have political involvement. We are interested in rights regarding health care, women's health, accessibility, and financial support. Sometimes these interests overlap with politics. Our support of an issue is not meant to be considered support of one party or candidate or another. We want accessible, affordable, comprehensive, and sane health care and cancer coverage for women and men, as well as financial and disability support for those who need it. Do not assume that because these issues come up that it is an invitation to bash any blanket party or affiliation. There are dumb people everywhere, let's point fingers with equal opportunity.
4) Certain forums require a minimum post count membership before you can make your own posts. This is to cut back on spam and to try and ensure that participants understand what is being discussed and put forth, and what has already been attempted. (Note: Some members will be grandfathered in with an administrator-controlled post count to circumvent this, depending on their role and their prior contribution elsewhere. This will be determined by existing staff if a new member warrants this adjustment) On the same vein, if someone reaches maximum post count organically but contributions are in the neighborhood of spam, their post count will be lowered and the member will be warned.
5) DO NOT SPAM. If you start a thread, and want to post something else that is along a similar vein, post to the thread you just created. If you make a post and want to add or revise something, you CAN and SHOULD edit your existing post to add this new information, rather than post a new entry. This will make it easier, keep threads manageable, and make it easier for those of us who are accessing the site through mobile means.
6) MET UP is based in the USA and the #108EveryDay hashtag stats are focused on the United States. But we are inclusive, and we welcome people from across the globe, and welcome information and statistics for metastatic breast cancer regardless of country of origin or gender.
7) Check your facts. Make certain you can cite where you get your numbers. If you claim that X many people die or Z many people were successful with a treatment, post your sources.
8) There is no cure for metastatic breast cancer. There is nothing hiding in the naturopathic community, there is nothing being kept under wraps by Big Pharama, there is no amount of coffee enemas or baking soda that can save your life. This is not the place to discuss home-brewed cures or debate the validity of pharmaceuticals. What we DO encourage is the discussion and information of known research and clinical trials that can help us find a legitimate cure or life-prolonging treatment.
9) You do not have to have Metastatic Breast Cancer to participate. You don't even need to have breast cancer. Or any cancer. Or be any specific gender. All you need is a passion for acting up and having quite enough of this statistic of 40,000+ dead a year.
10) If another group, be it cancer or social, experiences coverage and trending success, do not belittle them. We do not build ourselves up by tearing anyone else down. Learn and study, try to figure out what made that so newsworthy, and endeavor to do the same for MBC. This will not come easy. We will have to work at it. We have been dying for decades and it still hasn't become newsworthy. We have an uphill battle to fight. Do not try to score a victory at the expense of something unrelated. Breast Cancer is already seen as a bully disease, we do not need to further this image.
11) No "mini-modding". In our experience with our combined decades online active in a variety of forums, mini-modding just leads to bigger arguments and explosions. If you are not a moderator, but you feel that a rule has been violated, or is skirting dangerously close to doing so, instead of calling out the person directly, you can either PM any Moderator, Global Moderator, or Admin with a link, OR you can post in the thread tagging one (or more) of the staff to bring it to their attention. To tag, click the little "person" button on the top row of a full reply (not quick reply) page, which can be found to the immediate left of the "C" button, and type their name in the popup box. Or, if you know their username (NOT the "display name") simply type @ followed by the username. That will give the staff member an alert when they log in next, and we'll come and review the thread and if we feel action is necessary, we will speak up. Most issues on most boards can be handled by James 'Bucky' Barnes and if it requires a higher-ranking staff member, she will pass it up to the next tier.
1) Be polite. We are all in different stages of treatment, and sometimes we're not able to verbalize what we mean clearly. Instead of jumping to the worst conclusions, gently ask for clarification. If someone gets agitated, let it go. We all have our bad days, let's try to understand that.
2) MET UP is not affiliated with any religion. Religion is like a penis. It's a fine thing for one to have and take pride in, but when you pull it out and wave it in the faces of others, we have a problem. Not everyone holds the same religious beliefs as you; do not assume that someone else does. An atheist might not welcome offerings of prayer, where a Christian might be uncomfortable with offerings made to other gods in their name.
3) MET UP is not affiliated with any political party, although we might have political involvement. We are interested in rights regarding health care, women's health, accessibility, and financial support. Sometimes these interests overlap with politics. Our support of an issue is not meant to be considered support of one party or candidate or another. We want accessible, affordable, comprehensive, and sane health care and cancer coverage for women and men, as well as financial and disability support for those who need it. Do not assume that because these issues come up that it is an invitation to bash any blanket party or affiliation. There are dumb people everywhere, let's point fingers with equal opportunity.
4) Certain forums require a minimum post count membership before you can make your own posts. This is to cut back on spam and to try and ensure that participants understand what is being discussed and put forth, and what has already been attempted. (Note: Some members will be grandfathered in with an administrator-controlled post count to circumvent this, depending on their role and their prior contribution elsewhere. This will be determined by existing staff if a new member warrants this adjustment) On the same vein, if someone reaches maximum post count organically but contributions are in the neighborhood of spam, their post count will be lowered and the member will be warned.
5) DO NOT SPAM. If you start a thread, and want to post something else that is along a similar vein, post to the thread you just created. If you make a post and want to add or revise something, you CAN and SHOULD edit your existing post to add this new information, rather than post a new entry. This will make it easier, keep threads manageable, and make it easier for those of us who are accessing the site through mobile means.
6) MET UP is based in the USA and the #108EveryDay hashtag stats are focused on the United States. But we are inclusive, and we welcome people from across the globe, and welcome information and statistics for metastatic breast cancer regardless of country of origin or gender.
7) Check your facts. Make certain you can cite where you get your numbers. If you claim that X many people die or Z many people were successful with a treatment, post your sources.
8) There is no cure for metastatic breast cancer. There is nothing hiding in the naturopathic community, there is nothing being kept under wraps by Big Pharama, there is no amount of coffee enemas or baking soda that can save your life. This is not the place to discuss home-brewed cures or debate the validity of pharmaceuticals. What we DO encourage is the discussion and information of known research and clinical trials that can help us find a legitimate cure or life-prolonging treatment.
9) You do not have to have Metastatic Breast Cancer to participate. You don't even need to have breast cancer. Or any cancer. Or be any specific gender. All you need is a passion for acting up and having quite enough of this statistic of 40,000+ dead a year.
10) If another group, be it cancer or social, experiences coverage and trending success, do not belittle them. We do not build ourselves up by tearing anyone else down. Learn and study, try to figure out what made that so newsworthy, and endeavor to do the same for MBC. This will not come easy. We will have to work at it. We have been dying for decades and it still hasn't become newsworthy. We have an uphill battle to fight. Do not try to score a victory at the expense of something unrelated. Breast Cancer is already seen as a bully disease, we do not need to further this image.
11) No "mini-modding". In our experience with our combined decades online active in a variety of forums, mini-modding just leads to bigger arguments and explosions. If you are not a moderator, but you feel that a rule has been violated, or is skirting dangerously close to doing so, instead of calling out the person directly, you can either PM any Moderator, Global Moderator, or Admin with a link, OR you can post in the thread tagging one (or more) of the staff to bring it to their attention. To tag, click the little "person" button on the top row of a full reply (not quick reply) page, which can be found to the immediate left of the "C" button, and type their name in the popup box. Or, if you know their username (NOT the "display name") simply type @ followed by the username. That will give the staff member an alert when they log in next, and we'll come and review the thread and if we feel action is necessary, we will speak up. Most issues on most boards can be handled by James 'Bucky' Barnes and if it requires a higher-ranking staff member, she will pass it up to the next tier.