Here are the community values that should underpin all your interactions and help guide your posts:
Tips for forum engagement
- This is a public facing forum and discussion details can be viewed by the general public.
- There is upload functionality on posts for documents and agendas, however, minutes should not be shared together with anything that identifies service users.
- This forum is largely populated by people based in Queensland, Australia, however we welcome input from anyone, anywhere.
- Givers Gain! Online communities thrive when people take the time to comment on conversations that are already flowing.
- Stay on the topic or subtopic. If you’ve got something to say that doesn’t relate to the topic you’re posting in, find a more relevant topic or subtopic.
- If what you have to share doesn’t fit one of our topics or subtopics, you can “request a topic.” Our moderators aim to approve these within 48 hours (we do this to avoid under used topics populating the site).
- Keep comments relatively short and to the point.
- If you are unable to access your account, please click the “forgotten password” option or get in touch with us rather than creating a new one.
Friendly
We all have different opinions, and it is okay to disagree, sometimes it can even lead to better conversation!
We approach all discussions with kindness and professionalism and always assume the best intentions. Welcome new members, share your tips, or show them how to use the website. If you are a new member, make sure to introduce yourself when you join a conversation.
Respectful and Supportive
We encourage our members to give and receive information, support others, and share stories and resources. The sharing of information and giving support is how communities grow and our online community is no different.
Empowering
Don’t hold back in sharing your knowledge and remain open to different ideas… it’s likely someone will find it useful or interesting. When you give information, provide your sources where possible using links or the functionality to upload up to five PDFs to your post.
Safe
This forum is public facing, users can read whatever you post. If you see something you don’t like for any reason, report it via the “report post” option and let us know why. Don’t post your own or personal information of others. This includes address, email address, phone number and any details you would not be comfortable sharing with a stranger.
We maintain the right to remove posts and threads
We need to make sure that material posted in the discussion forums is not potentially harmful, remember this is a public facing forum. For this reason, we may edit or remove posts, avatars or display names that:
- contain disrespectful or derogatory remarks about any other member.
- contain advice or content that we believe is damaging, unhelpful or distressing to others.
- contain swearing or offensive language which is nonsensical and/or irrelevant.
- promotes personal beliefs in a way that is disrespectful of the choices of others.
- infringes the privacy of individuals or service providers.
- is racist, sexist, homophobic, sexually explicit or suggestive, abusive or otherwise discriminatory or objectionable.
- advertises products, services, events or research.
- privacy breaches: The sharing of personal information or images that display full names, phone numbers, locations, postal or email addresses; or encourages the sharing of such details.
- describes or encourages violence, suicide or other activity which could endanger the safety or wellbeing of others.
- is a copy of another post or contains the same, or similar, message posted multiple times elsewhere.
- contains references to edits or moderation.
- is more than 2,500 characters in length or submitted in multiple parts to avoid the character limit.
- is made from duplicate accounts.
Moderation
A team of moderators have been entrusted with the ability to intervene when these Community Rules have been breached. However, due to the dynamic nature, we can’t immediately read everything written – therefore much of the responsibility for maintaining our friendly environment lies with you.
If any material you post raises concerns, we may try to contact you, edit or remove the post. Should you wish to query a moderation decision, please contact us here or email info@qshelter.asn.au and we will respond as soon as possible. We reserve the right to permanently deactivate the accounts of users who breach our community rules. Threads from users who are no longer on the forums may be archived (locked or unpublished) at the discretion of moderators.
Ending your time with us
You may request at any time that your membership be cancelled from the website. By doing so, you understand and agree that we may retain your personal information on our mailing list and that all activity associated with your account that was generated prior to the date of your cancellation request will remain permanently on the forum (for example, your posts in the forums will not be deleted).