I thought this might be a good time to post the forum guidelines since many of us may not have read them in ages. Please know that we are doing our best to monitor the forums, but that is just a piece of what we're doing for the NABBW and BWS. If you're a member of the NABBW, you're aware of all the communications, and education and empowerment pieces we are continually working on. This is not a cop out by any means, just a reminder that we can't be in there 24/7. After all, it's a FREE forum community.

Boomer Women Speak Forum Community
A Place to Share from the Heart and Connect with Women
A Place to Share Stories, Give and Receive Advice, and Meet New Friends

1. Community Guidelines
This site operates solely by the Golden Rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. By communicating in BWS’s forums, you are agreeing to abide by our community rules. We promise to provide a safe haven where members are encouraged to treat each other with respect. Women are expected to support and encourage each other with enthusiasm.

If you are new to the site, come on in. If you’ve been around for a while, be sure to welcome our newcomers. We know you may think you have a dumb question or post, but in our online neighborhood there is no such thing. Anything that comes to mind is okay with us as long as you follow our guidelines. Whether you are rejoicing over a new job or whining about a relationship, more than likely another boomer woman is going through something similar. Being supportive of one another is why this community exists. Remember, “Friends Heal Friends.”

2. Respect
As long as you always act with respect for other women, it is okay to let it all hang out in the online neighborhood. Feel free to write with emotion in your heart while posting.

3.Screen Names
We ask that you kindly choose a screen name with good taste. We will reject your choice if you select something we believe to be vulgar.

4. Etiquette
Please refrain from the following:
1. Using all capital letters. It’s considered shouting online and makes it difficult to read.
2. Posting the same message on several boards.
3. Posting anything obscene, illegal, abusive, degrading, insulting, or threatening. We won’t tolerate harmful communications. We’ll delete anything that attacks someone’s race, sexual orientation, religion, or personal being in any way. Profanity is forbidden.
4. Providing your telephone number or home address.

You are free to discuss the following:
1. Personal views
2. Religious beliefs
3. Life stories
We simply ask that you not attack the beliefs or choices of others. Please don’t tell others what they should or shouldn’t believe. Don’t tell them how to live their lives. A perfect example of this is faith issues. Please don’t tell someone that your belief is the only right one and that theirs is wrong. Posts like this are considered attacks and we will delete them.
4. Give your email address only if you want to receive email. Posting your email
address makes it public and allows others to email you.

5. Professional Advice
Remember while sharing stories is informative and helpful, nothing takes the place of professional advice. Please seek proper attention and don’t rely on our community for personal counseling.

6. Publishing Your Words
Your words may be used in other places on our site or by journalists.

7. Copyrights
We ask that you not post anything that you don’t have the right to publish. We also ask that you not violate any copyright laws in your postings. We will delete posts that contain such violations.

8. Advertising
Do not use our forum community to solicit products or services.

9. Other Web sites
It’s absolutely fine to place links to other Web sites. Anything that interests you may also be of interest to others in our community.

10. Reporting Problems:
Please contact dots@boomerwomenspeak.com if you encounter messages that are offensive in any way. We have the right to terminate any user, at any time, for any reason, if our judgment tells us so.

11. Contacting Us
Please contact us for any reason that you deem necessary. We are only a mailbox away. dots@boomerwomenspeak.com

Thank you Dotsie for re-posting these.

Can I add that, if we want to really understand each other and what is posted, we must read without skimming. And, if we don't understand a comment made, ask, ask, ask.
For example: Just by missing one word (the word 'not' is a good case) a sentence can take on an entirely different meaning... as in this simplification:
I am not happy... skimmed and read,... I am happy.

I know this has happened to me... misread posts... as I'm sure it has happened to others.

Thank you Gims for 1) reading the guidelines and 2) for giving further clarification. Skimming has, in some instances, brought on more discord than you would believe.

Also, remember that writing has the tone that YOU give it. You can read something here and immediately spin a tone to it that YOU give, not necessarily what the reader intended. So please, no knee jerk reactions!

Think about the person who posted it...are they a regular poster who gives freely of their time and heart? Or are they someone who comes in here just to stir things up? THINK ABOUT IT!

ALWAYS REMEMBER THIS IS AN OPEN FORUM. THE WORLD CAN READ WHAT YOU POST.

And lastly, if you have a problem with a post, send Dotsie or me a private email. Don't take up your sword and do battle in this open forum. This only stirs others to defend themselves, and who wouldn't?

Also, please know that Dotsie and I have NO secrets and share everything we do.

Everything is for the good of ALL women here.

gims, great point about skimming. I know I'm guilty of that. Thanks for the reminder.

could you elaborate on number 6., re: our words being used in other places or by journalists. what do you mean, specifically?

She means someone might copy your essay or some work you published on HERE and use it as their own.

oh.

hey JJ i am still not getting any pm's could you try sending me one. I just sent u a tester...did u get it?

No Chick, I didn't. I've turned the problem over to our tech guy but I'm not sure where he is with it. I'll ask Dotsie. In the meantime, it may have to be resolved by a new identity...and then merge the old identity. I THINK we can do that.

K... I just removed all my previous PM's and resent u another...just in case that works.