Rules sections

Board rules

These rules are disclosed to clarify the various responsibilities of all community members here on Widow.ie. They shall be adhered to by everyone to ensure that our board runs smoothly and provides a fun and productive experience for all of our community members and visitors.

  1. First Rule

    1. You are welcome to join if one of the following applies to you;
      - If your your husband or wife has died
      - If you were engaged to be married and your fiancé has died
      - Or, if your life partner has died #
    2. If your spouse or partner hasn't died but you are grieving for a grandparent, parent, sibling, child or pet, may we extend our sincere sympathies but unfortunately our website and forum would not be best suited to you. Therefore we respectfully ask that you refrain from joining.
      May we suggest the following:
      Aware.ie - Support through depression
      Anamcara.ie - Supporting parents after bereavement
      Boards.ie - Bereavement #
    3. In the interest of fairness to all members, you must open and run your own account. From time to time new members who are not comfortable with computers may get assistance from a family member or friend, that is understandable. But, it is of vital importance that the only person using the account is the bereaved spouse or life partner.
      - Do not open an account for another person without their stated permission and they must be with you when you open the account for the first time.
      - Do not write on their behalf. #

  2. Forum Rules

    1. No discussion of any illegal activity or threats of violence (ie. threats of suicide, self-harm, or physical harm). Discussion of medical marijuana is allowed as long as discussions have a medical focus. #
    2. No use of explicit, racist, obscene or vulgar language, images or messages. #
    3. No posts that attack, insult, flame, defame, or abuse others. Respect other members'' opinions regarding treatment decisions. Decisions about health and well-being are highly personal choices. We should respect all points of view. Flaming will not be tolerated. #
    4. No advertising or links to advertising or spam is permitted.
      • Advertising or spam is defined as posting a link for the purpose of selling, soliciting or promoting something.
      • Links promoting fundraising, advocacy, etc. are not permitted.
      • Links to personal blogs/homepages are allowed in member profiles and signatures
      • Sharing of links to helpful and relevant web sites and resources is allowed if they are not used for a promotional purpose.
      #
    5. No posts regarding research studies, surveys, or clinical trials without prior approval from the forum administrator. #
    6. No posts of copyrighted material, lengthy articles, or posts of an overtly political or religious nature (ie. proselyting). #
    7. Do not post offline personal contact information (ie. your home address, phone numbers etc.) and do not ask for personal information from others. This is to protect your security and identity. #
    8. If you are a medical professional, do not use the forums to distribute professional medical advice and/or promote your services. #
    9. Not a Dating Site: While it should be obvious it needs to be said, Widow.ie is NOT a dating site. #

  3. Guidelines

    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, add them to your Foes list in your User Control Panel (UCP) #
    3. Report posts that violate the rules. Do this by selecting the Admin alert button at the top right corner of the post. #
    4. Use good judgement. NEVER rely on information or opinions exchanged 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. #
    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 some good news, share that too. #
    7. Welcome new members. Help new folks "learn the ropes" about how to find information and resources, save time, and how to get involved. #
    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 making your title more descriptive about the content of your post. #
    9. Be respectful of moderators in both the forums and any private communications. #
    10. Stay on topic. Posts which are not relevant to the forum topic may be deleted. #
    11. Keep posts family friendly. If it shouldn't be viewed by minors, then it shouldn’t be posted to the forums or chat rooms. #

  4. Know Your Moderators

    1. Widow.ie Community forums and chat rooms are moderated by volunteers that have some special understanding of your bereavement. While they may not have answers to all your questions, moderators are here to help in any way they can.

      You can spot a moderator because their profile indicates that they are moderators.

      Moderators have the right to edit or delete posts without prior notice that violate of the rules above. If you have a question for a moderator on a decision, you can email them and discuss it privately.

      They may not see things the same way you do, but they are open and approachable.

      We are always looking for new moderators to help. #

  5. Important

    1. Widow.ie is not an organisation, club, charity, counselling service or other type of entity with a presence anywhere other than the Internet and is offered without charge to its users and members. #
    2. Members that do not abide by the rules may be subject to having their posts edited or deleted, their member account permanently banned from further access and/or deleted without notice.

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

  6. Last Update

    1. Rules first added in 2009
      Updated 22 February 2014
      Updated 17 July 2016 #