Forum Code of Conduct and Rules

Updated: Jan 14, 2022

The VeganOstomy Community Forums have been created to offer members a safe place to connect with others and discuss topics related to IBD (and other chronic illnesses), ostomies, and/or veganism. These forums are open to patients, their caregivers, family, and friends.

By participating in these forums, you’ve agreed to the Code of Conduct and Guidelines presented below. You also agree to the same Privacy Policy that governs the VeganOstomy website.If you have any questions about the rules, a specific post, or a member who you feel is violating these guidelines, please contact me or a moderator in private.

  1. Be respectful.
  2. Be thoughtful.

Respect

  • Harassment, abusive behavior, name-calling, insults, personal attacks, degrading, or shaming will NOT be tolerated here.
  • Respect other’s privacy by not posting photos, sharing names, or giving out contact information without their permission.
  • Many of the members of the VeganOstomy forum are vegan/vegetarian, and many are not. Please do not post content that’s intentionally offensive or hurtful.
  • Kindness and compassion are encouraged. Remember that every person on this forum is an actual human being with their own backstory, thoughts, and feelings.
  • This forum extends to people of all backgrounds, races, ages, sexual orientations, religious beliefs, disabilities, nationalities, income levels, and education. Discrimination is NOT welcome here.
  • These forums are read by people of all ages, so please mind your language and refrain from cursing or obscenities. Also, note that custom avatars must be “appropriate for all ages”.
  • Open discussion is encouraged, but keep in mind that other members aren’t here to debate, but to find support or information that could help them. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and there’s nothing wrong with “agreeing to disagree”. If you want to debate, try debate.org.
  • The owner of this site and moderators have the last say when it comes to banning members, closing topics, editing/removing posts, and determining what’s appropriate on these forums. If you have a problem with that, please contact a moderator or site owner with your concerns. Do not start a public topic to complain about it.
  • Don’t hijack a thread by steering it off-topic. Start a new topic if you think it adds value to the community.
  • Whenever you are participating in these community forums, please keep in mind that we strive to create a fun, friendly and inviting atmosphere. So, please have fun and enjoy the forums!

Thoughtfulness

  • Before posting a new topic or question, use the search function to see if the same topic/question has already been posted. Duplicate posts clutter the forum and make accessing the content difficult.
  • Me mindful of how often you post. It’s not a contest and replying to every single topic (or the same topic multiple times in a short period) when it doesn’t add a lot of value to the topic may be seen as annoying. Keep in mind that an email is sent to each participant of a topic they subscribe to with every new reply.
  • Please post new topics in the appropriate category.
  • Cross posting (posting the same topic in multiple forums) will result in the removal of one or more topics.
  • Feel free to include a link to a website or video (especially ones found on the VeganOstomy site and/or YouTube channel) to a post if you feel that it adds value to the conversation. But please don’t abuse this privilege by self-promoting, posting advertisements, or adding affiliate links. If you’re unsure about whether a link or video is appropriate to post, just contact a moderator and ask. For business inquiries, please contact me directly.
  • Remember that these forums are not a substitute for your health care professional. While you may share your experience with certain health/ostomy challenges, speak to your doctor or nurse if you have a serious concern.
  • The signature area is where you can add some brief information for other members to get to know you better. This may include your diagnosis, type of stoma, a fun quote, or a hobby. You may add a single URL (i.e. for a website you represent), but keep social media links to your profile page. Please try to limit the signature to only a few lines. You can use the “About Me” section in your profile to add more details about yourself (if you choose to).
  • Posts that discuss illegal activities, transactions, or websites such as warez, cracks, etc. will be removed. Members who post this content may also be banned.
  • Please keep general discussions about politics or religion off these forums, unless they in some way adds value to the discussion (i.e. health care policies, religious belief having an effect on products used, etc.).

About your member account

  • Only one account per member, please.
  • You may only register a forum account if you are over the age of 13 in order to comply with COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule).
  • Your email address will not be publicly accessible, but other links/information you provide in your user account will be. Feel free to leave those blank if you like.
  • You may change your name, avatar, social media links, signature, email address, password, and other profile information within your account settings page at any time after you register.
  • Our forum system includes an anti-spam and post moderation back end. Because of this, some users may have to wait for their post to be approved by a moderator. This should be done within 24h under most circumstances.

Disclaimer

Content provided on the VeganOstomy Community Forum is for informational and/or entertainment purposes only.

The owner of this website, moderators, and forum members makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on these forums or found by following any link on these forums.

The owner of VeganOstomy, moderators, and forum members will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information.

The owner, moderator, and members will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

If you are having a medical emergency, please contact your local hospital or dial 911 on your phone.