If you violate these rules in a post, that post will be moved or edited. Please don't take this personally. We know that it can take time to get used to the guidelines here, and the mods and admins are happy to work with new users to help them understand why we do things the way we do.
If you repeatedly violate the rules, your account may be temporarily suspended. You'll be given a chance to explain your side of things if it comes to that, but it's rare we get to that point.
- If you are a journalist or researcher, or want to collect data on the board for *any* reason, clear it with an admin first.
- Personal attacks are not permitted under any circumstances. We don't care *who* started it. If you're having problems with someone on the board, please talk to an admin or a moderator about it. We'll try to help you work it out.
- Be careful about posting graphic details of sexual situations, of abuse, and of violence. Before you post them, ask yourself how much detail is necessary.Use the subject line to let people know what to expect in your post.
- Do not post asking for methods of self-injury or describing them in detail. It's okay to say "I cut" but not "I honed a beet to a fine edge and slashed with it." Watch your words, too; try to avoid things like "slash" or "carve". We strongly believe that the feelings behind self-harm are infinitely more important than the details of what you've done to yourself.
- Do not re-post private mail or messages without the consent of the person who wrote them. This includes instant messaging and IRC conversations as well as email and other written conversations.
- If you're not sure whether something is okay to post or not, check with a member of the board staff. Saying, "I know this is against the rules, but..." isn't fair. .
- What's said here stays here. You may think you're doing someone a favor by telling his partner what he posts, but that decision belongs to the person who has to live with the consequences of disclosure. Think about how you'd feel if someone told your secrets.
- Suicide notes and threats are not permitted. Also, do not post asking if something is an overdose. If you think you have taken an overdose, phone Poison Control or a pharmacy. We are not medical professionals -- we don't know for sure.
- If you're asking for help here, be willing to listen to what's said. If you're asking for help with an immediate self-harm situation, put down your tools before you log on to the board. If you still want to hurt yourself later, it's your choice, but it's unfair to ask for help while holding imminent self-harm over someone. Do not threaten to hurt yourself if you don't get the response you want or if someone doesn't answer you. It's not fair.
- Don't post weights, wound dimensions, number of wounds, etc. Generally, stay away from numbers; most of them will be edited.
- If you need to post about a sensitive subject, let people know in the subject line. Add something like "**SA" to the subject. Most people use these abbreviations:
- SI = self injury
SH = self harm
SM = self mutilation
SU = suicide
ED = eating disorder
SA =sexual abuse
OD = overdose
Language = extreme use of vulgar language or extreme self-hatred
Religion = religious content
OT =off topic
- SI = self injury
- Do not link to or post pictures of self-inflicted wounds or pictures of things you wouldn't be allowed to post about -- no blood, no porn, etc. Do not link to pro-si or pro-ed sites, including journals and journal communities.
- If a post makes you angry, stop and let it sit awhile before answering. Think about what the anger is related to and how you want to respond. Take a walk, talk to a mod or admin, or do something else to cool down. Please don't try to enforce the board rules on your own -- report violations to the mods and let them deal with it.
- No commercial ads. No solicitation or requests for money. No spamming. You can mention your website, but if you're a new member and all you've ever done is post to advertise your website the post will likely be removed.