# Sticky  Board Guidelines (Forum Rules) - All Members Are Required To Read This



## Memories of Silence

In addition to our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and User Agreement, we have adopted rules specifically for the Social Anxiety Support forums. Please keep in mind that these rules are here to ensure the efficiency and enjoyment of the forums with respect to the diverse nature of our community.

The rules below apply to all user-posted content, including, but in no way limited to, posts, chat messages, private messages, visitor messages, links, custom titles, user names, user profiles, photos, avatars, and signatures. _Staff members reserve the right to remove content without warning or explanation._

*Personal Attacks*

Personal attacks on any member or staff member of this community will not be tolerated. Any post, message, or other content which is judged by the moderators to be defamatory, degrading, threatening, humiliating, insulting or hurtful in any way to another member of the community will be edited or deleted at the moderators' discretion. Registering for the purpose of attacking another member will result in a permanent ban. Antagonizing or demeaning language that isn't necessarily directed at any individual may also be considered unacceptable.

*Inappropriate Content*

In addition to that covered by the other guidelines, content must conform to the following:

- Content describing or advocating sexual or illegal acts, or that is obscene, indecent, harmful to others' computers, or that violates the law in any jurisdiction is not permitted.

- Inappropriate language. The use of terms and language broadly acknowledged to be offensive or sexually explicit is not permitted. Using any method to avoid the swear filter is not allowed. This includes using asterisks (*) to block out some letters of a word that is obviously a swear word in the context of the sentence.

- Images, videos, GIFs, or audio containing graphic violence, pornography, or other offensive or distressing material are not permitted. This includes inappropriate language, and nudity or see-through clothing with nothing on underneath. Posting any pornographic content will result in an immediate temporary ban. Duplicating any posted pornographic image or link through quoting or any other method will result in an infraction. Encouraging others to post pornographic content for any reason is not allowed.

- "Body shaming" posts are not acceptable as many other users have similar body types or concerns, and will also negatively identify. Many users struggle with body issues, eating disorders and appearance related anxiety and we encourage helpful support and positive discussion in making efforts to improve, not dwell on or discuss in frustration what is considered ugly or unwanted. This is a forum for people with social anxiety, and most people with social anxiety suffer from low self-esteem. Body shaming posts, of any type, could reinforce their negative beliefs about themselves and how others perceive them.

- Links. The content of the websites linked to must loosely meet the standards of Social Anxiety Support. The staff reserves the right to block links to websites that it feels are inappropriate for the users of Social Anxiety Support. Linking to porn will result in an immediate temporary ban.

- SAS-related avatars and profile pictures are only permitted to be used by staff members

- Posting private conversations with other users is not permitted without gaining their permission prior to posting it.

*Age Requirements*

As of April 2021, we require all members to be at least 18 years of age. If a member is found to be below the age of 18, a ban will be given immediately. Depending on the member's age, a temporary ban can be given if the member is 17 and will be lifted when we believe the member has turned 18. Below the age of 17, a permanent ban may be given instead, and the member can create a new account when they are old enough.

*Spamming*

Spamming will not be tolerated, which includes: blatant, excessive or inappropriate promotion or advertising of any person or persons (including user popularity-based threads), product, service, website or board; pyramid schemes or referral games; posting multiple threads; use of multiple accounts; posting threads in the incorrect forum; looks-rating threads; excessive capital letter use; excessive punctuation use (ie !!!!!); excessively long signatures; and/or any post deemed spam due to irrelevance or nuisance in nature. Links from recently registered accounts will met with more scrutiny. Don't register on our forum to immediately promote your personal or commercial site. Doing so will result in an immediate permanent ban and your posts will be removed.

Spamming may also exist in other forms, such as hijacking a thread and veering it off-course. Please keep your posts on topic and avoid post “hijacking” / “derailing”. Rather than taking an existing topic in a radically different direction, use the Post New Thread option.

- We encourage members to search for old threads that are interesting and beneficial. For example, a thread such as "Post A Photo of Your Room" is always going to be fun for people to post in. However, some old threads are no longer beneficial to post in, such as "Help! I Have To Go To A Family Reunion Next Week" from ten years ago. 

Please limit yourself to posting in only two old threads per day so as not to push newer threads down the list of active threads where they may be less likely to receive a reply. If you reply in an old thread, don't be offended if the person you are speaking to does not reply. They might not be active on SAS anymore and won't see that you have said something to them.

- Do not use SAS to advertise or solicit anyone to buy or sell products or services, to visit another competing website, or to make or ask for donations of any kind, no matter what for.

*Conflicts*

If you have any issue or problem with material posted in this forum, or with the behavior of another community member, please make a report or email or PM the staff for a confidential discussion of the issue. Inciting (such as through baiting) or engaging in conflict (e.g. fighting or quarreling beyond a civil exchange; publicly calling out/discussing another member) is not permitted. Bans are always issued for a good reason, and after plenty of chances have been given to the member. Please do not ask why someone was banned.

*Harassment*

Courses of posts or messages to other community members that are intended, or that ought reasonably to be known, to cause discomfort or intimidation are not permitted. This includes repeatedly contacting or referring to other members after being asked to refrain, and repeatedly targeting other members without naming them. Individual incidents may also constitute harassment if judged by staff to be serious enough. Harassment of fellow members outside of SAS counts as harassment on the forum and will be treated in the same manner, which can include an immediate temporary ban that carries the possibility of being made permanent.

*Defiant Behaviour Towards Staff*

Moderation decisions should be assumed to be final. Do not post your complaints about moderation on the forum or attempt to gather support against the moderators. All posts attacking moderation will be removed and repeated instances of this behavior after removal and having been asked to stop doing it may result in infractions and/or temporary bans. 

It is (generally) fine to contact a moderator directly and ask for clarification or reconsideration but you should not become abusive, aggressive, antagonistic or demanding in your private communications with any moderator. 

Moderators are members of this forum just like everyone else and they have volunteered their time and energy to keeping this forum safe and civil for everyone.

Any message that would be against the rules to send to anyone else is also not acceptable to send to a moderator. This also means that when they tell you that the conversation is over, you are not to continue sending them private messages to continue to argue with their decisions or to insult them because you don't like their decisions.

If you have a problem with something a moderator has done, please remain calm and polite when questioning them about it. Attacks, defiance, hostility, aggressiveness, threats and flaming are never okay and will never work in your favour.

Please be patient - the staff members have social anxiety as well. They are not machines, and like everyone else, including machines, they are not perfect. 


*Who Has It Worse*

This site is not a competition - it's not about whose particular brand of suffering is the worse, who suffers more than whom, or who has the right to call their problems "Social Anxiety". This includes comparisons of suffering between the genders. The belittlement of others' suffering will not be tolerated.

*Bigotry*

Any content which is deemed by the staff to contain racial, sexual, religious, or any other kind of bigotry will be locked, edited or removed. This includes excessive gender stereotyping and inciting or engaging in gender "wars".

*Obtaining Medication*

Posts that discuss obtaining medication online illegally are not allowed and will be locked, edited or removed. This includes any websites that allow you to purchase a medication without a prescription or claim to provide you with a prescription without requiring that you see a doctor in person. Additionally, asking for advice via post, PM, or email on how to obtain medication illegally, without prescription or without consultation of a doctor is not allowed.

*Medication Discussion*

You should always see a doctor before starting, changing or stopping any drug treatment. No posts regarding the illegal or improper use of medications will be allowed. Given that the forum is visited by people from all over the world, there will be some drugs that are illegal in the US that aren't in other countries. If the drug discussed meets all these conditions: 1) is legal in the country the members are currently living 2) has been prescribed to the members discussing it and 3) is not being discussed in a manner that is improper or potentially harmful (as determined by us), then we'll usually, but not always, allow the discussion to continue. The decision is up the moderators and staff of Social Anxiety Support and we appreciate your understanding.

Please keep in mind that as it must be assumed that as there are no doctors on this forum, SAS staff are unable to verify the safety of any of the advice being offered on this forum. It is strongly advised to always seek proper medical advice rather than following advice from the Internet.

*Member Posts Containing Health/Medical Information*

We request that all members give references/citations when posting health/medical information that is not personal experience (i.e. something that they didn’t undergo themselves). Additionally, members must post information that is true and correct to their knowledge (i.e. it is not allowed to knowingly post false information).

*Multiple Accounts*

Only one account is allowed per person. If we find out that an individual has multiple accounts, we will merge their accounts together and allow them to choose which username they would like to keep. If they created a new account as a "fresh start," depending on the circumstances, we will leave the account of their choice unbanned for them to use. They can choose a new username if they wish.

If it is found that a member has had more than one account, they must give SAS staff members information about either their old username or email address when asked. Failure to supply this information will be seen as Defiant Behaviour Towards Staff, and they will deem your intentions as suspicious and you may be banned on the suspicion that you are hiding bad behaviour from your past. 

*Suicide and Self-Mutilation*

If you are currently thinking about harming or killing yourself, please seek help immediately. On the forums, suicide threats and the discussion of suicide is not permitted. Discussion of self-mutilation (cutting and burning) is not permitted except in the context of coping mechanisms in the following thread: Self harm coping mechanisms (Trigger Warning). 

*Violations and Enforcement*

In cases of duplicate accounts, illegal porn or register-and-spam/troll, an immediate permanent ban can be issued.
In cases where a new member (under 3 months) breaks a rule, their post will be edited/deleted/moved/locked and they will be sent a private explaining the specific rule they broke and a request that they read the forum rules.

In cases where a member who's been registered for at least 3 months breaks a rule, their post will be edited/deleted/moved/locked and they will be sent a private message reminding them of the rule and a request that they reread the forum rules.

*Moderation of Social Anxiety Support*

The discussion forums are moderated on a daily basis by volunteers. Most of the time there is at least one moderator active on the forums. Often there are multiple moderators active at the same time. The moderators are all non medical professionals.

All members of Social Anxiety Support are considered non medical professionals by default. No member has had their medical credentials verified, so it should be assumed that each member is a non medical professional.

Members are able to edit content they have posted on the discussion forums, unless they’ve been banned (see Violations and Enforcement section above), exhausted their editing allowance limits for the week, or the thread they have posted in has been closed or deleted (see all the sections above on what content is and isn’t allowed). 

Members cannot delete their own posts, but may contact a moderator or administrator to request a deletion, limited to no more than four posts at one time. Thread deletion may be requested, but the request may be denied depending on the circumstances and the content of the thread. This rule exists because threads can contain posts from many members and it would be unfair and harmful to the community if individual members had the ability to remove the posts of other members (potentially hundreds of posts in a single discussion thread).

In cases where a new member (under 3 months) continues to break rules after asked not to, they can be permanently banned immediately.

In cases where a member who has been registered for at least 3 months continues to break rules after asked not to, then a thread can be created in the mod forum to discuss and vote on how the member should be dealt with (temporary ban, permanent ban, limit their access to some forums, etc.) A permanent ban will be issued only with a simple majority vote and approval from an administrator.

In cases where a member who has been registered for at least 3 months is extremely inappropriate (very vulgar language, really mean personal attacks, porn, etc.), then a temporary ban can be issued and a thread can be created in the mod forum to discuss and vote on how the member should be dealt with (longer temporary ban, permanent ban, limit their access to some forums, etc.) Again, a permanent ban will be issued only with a simple majority vote and approval from an administrator. 

It is not easy to become banned on SAS - staff members are generally quite lenient and offer multiple chances to members to improve their behaviour. Several warnings/infractions are usually given before a temporary ban is issued, and up to three temporary bans may be given before a ban is made permanent, depending on how bad the behaviour was.

*Moderation of Recovery Forums vs Debate Forums*

We recognize that people come to SAS and visit the variety of forums offered for different reasons. The Recovery forums exist to provide support for people with social anxiety and the rules will continue to be strictly enforced in those forums. The following Discussion and General forums will fall under a looser set of guidelines:

Society & Culture
Dating, Relationships and Loneliness
Agnosticism and Atheism
18+ Adults Only

What exactly does this mean?

It doesn't mean that all the rules are thrown out and it's a free for all. Instead, it means that we won't be watching as closely for "feelings getting hurt".

It doesn't mean that you can call someone "stupid", post things of a sexual nature, or spout racism. Instead, it means that you are allowed to have a heated debate without as much intervention from moderators unless something is seen as very inappropriate.

This goes both ways and means that you can't report and expect moderators to come and intervene if there's someone that you disagree with. Please avoid these forums if you think you will not do well with confrontation. Remember that the point of debates is that there will be a difference of opinion.

Controversial threads may be moved to Society & Culture if we feel they no longer belong in a forum that is more strictly moderated. General Discussion is not for debate, so please keep all political or otherwise controversial posts out of that forum.


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## Memories of Silence

*Terms of Use

SocialAnxietySupport.com*
WEB SITE TERMS & CONDITIONS OF USE
SocialAnxietySupport.com is owned and operated by VerticalScope Inc., an Ontario corporation.
SocialAnxietySupport.com reserves the right to change these terms and conditions at any time, and you agree that each visit you make to SocialAnxietySupport.com shall be subject to the current terms and conditions as published on our website at www.SocialAnxietySupport.com (the 'Web Site').
*General Terms of Use*
By accessing SocialAnxietySupport.com you are agreeing to be bound by these Web Site Terms & Conditions of Use and all applicable laws and regulations, and you agree that you are solely responsible for compliance with any applicable local laws. If you do not agree with any of these terms, do not use this site. Any claim relating to SocialAnxietySupport.com shall be governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario, Canada. The materials contained on the Web Site are protected by applicable copyright and trademark laws.
Unless expressly permitted by supplemental terms, our sites and services are intended for general audiences 18 years of age and older, and access or use by anyone younger is not authorized.
*Internet Etiquette*
Electronic forums such as email distribution lists, web-based forums, and classified advertising lists that may be provided by SocialAnxietySupport.com have ground rules and established etiquette for posting messages or material to these forums. Users should be considerate of the expectations and sensitivities of others on the network when posting material for electronic distribution. You may not use the Web Site to impersonate another person or misrepresent that you have authorization to act on behalf of SocialAnxietySupport.com or any other party. All messages transmitted by you should correctly identify you as the sender. Any attempt to alter the system configuration, to breach the security of the network, to gain unauthorized access to other users. email accounts, or any other attempt at 'hacking', is prohibited, and will result in the immediate cancellation of all access and privileges and the possibility of criminal and/or civil charges being brought.
*Disclaimer and Limitation of Liability*
Throughout the Web Site we have provided links and pointers to Internet sites maintained by third parties, sometimes through third party advertisements. Our linking to such third-party sites does not imply an endorsement or sponsorship of such sites, or the information, products or services offered on or through the sites. In addition, neither we nor any of our respective affiliated companies operate or control in any respect any information, products or services that third parties may provide on or through the Web Site or on websites linked to by us on the Web Site.
THE INFORMATION, PRODUCTS AND SERVICES OFFERED ON OR THROUGH THE SITE AND ANY THIRD-PARTY SITES ARE PROVIDED \"AS IS\" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMISSIBLE PURSUANT TO APPLICABLE LAW, WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SITE OR ANY OF ITS FUNCTIONS WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT ANY PART OF THIS SITE, INCLUDING BULLETIN BOARDS, OR THE SERVERS THAT MAKE IT AVAILABLE, ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS.
WE DO NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS REGARDING THE USE OR THE RESULTS OF THE USE OF THE SITE OR MATERIALS ON THIS SITE OR ON THIRD-PARTY SITES IN TERMS OF THEIR CORRECTNESS, ACCURACY, TIMELINESS, RELIABILITY OR OTHERWISE.
You must provide and are solely responsible for all hardware and/or software necessary to access the Web Site. You assume the entire cost of and responsibility for any damage to, and all necessary maintenance, repair or correction of, that hardware and/or software.
The Web Site is provided for informational purposes only, and is not intended for trading or investing purposes, or for commercial use. The Web Site should not be used in any high risk activities where damage or injury to persons, property, environment, finances or business may result if an error occurs. You expressly assume all risk for such use.
Certain sections of the Web Site may allow you to purchase many different types of products and services online that are provided by third parties. We are not responsible for the quality, accuracy, timeliness, reliability or any other aspect of these products and services. If you make a purchase from a merchant on the Web Site or on a site linked to by the Web Site, the information obtained during your visit to that merchant's online store or site, and the information that you give as part of the transaction, such as your credit card number and contact information, may be collected by both the merchant and us. A merchant may have privacy and data collection practices that are different from ours. We have no responsibility or liability for these independent policies. In addition, when you purchase products or services on or through the Web Site, you may be subject to additional terms and conditions that specifically apply to your purchase or use of such products or services. For more information regarding a merchant, its online store, its privacy policies, and/or any additional terms and conditions that may apply, visit that merchant's website and click on its information links or contact the merchant directly. You release us and our affiliates from any damages that you incur, and agree not to assert any claims against us or them, arising from your purchase or use of any products or services made available by third parties through the Web Site.
You agree to be financially responsible for all purchases made by you or someone acting on your behalf through the Web Site. You agree to use the Web Site and to purchase services or products through the Web Site for legitimate purposes only. You also agree not to make any purchases for speculative, false or fraudulent purposes. You agree to only purchase goods or services for yourself or for another person for whom you are legally permitted to do so. When making a purchase for a third party that requires you to submit the third party's personal information to us or a merchant, you represent that you have obtained the express consent of such third party to provide such third party's personal information.
In no event shall SocialAnxietySupport.com or its service providers, affiliates, associates, subsidiaries or partners be liable for any damages, including, without limitation, damages for loss of data or profit, or due to business interruption, arising out of the use of or inability to use the materials contained on the Web Site even if SocialAnxietySupport.com has been notified of the possibility of such damage. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. This disclaimer of liability applies to any damages or injury caused by any failure of performance, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, computer virus, communication line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, alteration of, or use of record, whether for breach of contract, tortious behavior, negligence, or under any other cause of action.
The information and opinions expressed in Bulletin Boards, Chat Rooms, or other electronic forums conducted on the Web Site are not necessarily those of SocialAnxietySupport.com or its service providers, affiliates, associates, subsidiaries or partners and SocialAnxietySupport.com makes no representations or warranties regarding that information or those opinions. Neither SocialAnxietySupport.com or its service providers, affiliates, associates, subsidiaries or partners shall be responsible or liable to any person or entity whatsoever for any loss, damage (whether actual, consequential, punitive or otherwise), injury, claim, liability or other cause of any kind or character whatsoever based upon or resulting from any information or opinions provided in such forums.
*Limited License*
SocialAnxietySupport.com hereby grants you a limited license to view on your computer, print, or download any content made available on the Web Site for which a fee is not charged, for non-commercial, personal, or educational purposes only. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing you may not make any commercial use of such content, either alone or in or with any product which you distribute, or copy or host such content on your or any other person’s web site or FTP server. Nothing contained in this limited license shall be deemed as conferring any right in any copyright, trademark, trade name or other proprietary property of SocialAnxietySupport.com or any other party who owns or has proprietary rights to the content, information and materials provided on the Web Site.
*Preservation of Intellectual Property Rights*
All material on this site, including, but not limited to images, illustrations and multimedia materials, is protected by copyrights which are owned and controlled by SocialAnxietySupport.com or by other parties that have licensed their material to SocialAnxietySupport.com. Material from this Web Site or from any other web site owned, operated, licensed or controlled by VerticalScope may not be copied, reproduced, republished, uploaded, posted, transmitted, or distributed in any way. Modification of the materials or use of the materials for any other purpose is a violation of the copyrights and other proprietary rights held by the respective providers thereof. The use of any such material on any other web site, ftp server or network environment is prohibited.
*Changes and Improvements*
SocialAnxietySupport.com may make changes, improvements, alterations or amendments in and to the products, services, information and materials contained on the Web Site including the terms and conditions of your use of this Web Site, without liability.
*Jurisdictional Issues*
Due to the nature of the Internet, it is not possible for SocialAnxietySupport.com to restrict access to its web site only to those jurisdictions in which it does business. Some or all of the products and services offered on this web site may not be eligible for solicitation in your jurisdiction. If you are accessing this web site from such a jurisdiction, you should not consider anything on this site as an offer to sell or as a solicitation to the public to purchase any product or service from SocialAnxietySupport.com. This site is for use only by persons residing in jurisdictions where such products and services may legally be sold.
SocialAnxietySupport.com offers services and programs in many parts of the world. The web site may refer to certain services or programs that are not available worldwide. Without specifically limiting the offers made on this web site, reference to such services or programs does not imply that SocialAnxietySupport.com intends to offer such service or programs in all countries or locations.
Unless otherwise specified, the materials contained on the Web Site are presented solely for the purpose of providing information to persons primarily located in Ontario, Canada. This site is controlled and operated by VerticalScope from its offices in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. SocialAnxietySupport.com makes no representation that any of the materials contained in the Web Site are appropriate or available for use in other locations or jurisdictions. Those who choose to access this site from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws, if and to the extent local laws are applicable.
This agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Province of Ontario and the laws of Canada and users of the Web Site irrevocably attorn to the jurisdiction of the courts of the Province of Ontario. Any provisions of this Agreement which are or may be rendered invalid, unenforceable or illegal, shall be ineffective only to the extent of such invalidity, unenforceability or illegality, without affecting the validity, enforceability or legality of the remaining provisions of this Agreement. This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties pertaining to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, negotiations and discussions, whether oral or written, of the parties.
*Privacy*
SocialAnxietySupport.com has established a privacy policy covering the collection, use, and disclosure of user information, which can be found at privacy page.
*Submissions*
By posting/sending a message in any public electronic forum on the Web Site, you agree to have that message along with your name and/or user name posted for public viewing both here and in other promotional and advertising materials and on other VerticalScope web sites, without compensation. SocialAnxietySupport.com does not undertake to necessarily post every submission. All messages that are posted here represent the opinions of the individuals or organizations posting those messages, and do not express the ideas or opinions of SocialAnxietySupport.com or VerticalScope. You may copy the posted messages for personal use, but redistribution in any way requires the written permission of SocialAnxietySupport.com. In consideration of this authorization, you agree that any copy you make of any message(s) located on this web site shall retain all copyright and other proprietary notices contained therein.
You represent and warrant that: (i) you own the content posted by you on or through the Web Site or otherwise have the right to grant the license set forth below, and (ii) the Posting of your content does not violate the privacy rights, publicity rights, copyrights, contract rights or any other rights of any person.
You agree to grant to SocialAnxietySupport.com, VerticalScope and its subsidiaries, a non exclusive, royalty free, worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual license to reproduce, distribute, transmit, sublicense, create derivative works of, publicly display, publish and perform any materials and other information you submit to any public areas, chat rooms, bulletin boards, newsgroups or forums of SocialAnxietySupport.com or which you provide by email or any other means to SocialAnxietySupport.com and in any media now known or hereafter developed. Further, you grant to SocialAnxietySupport.com the right to use your name and or user name in connection with the submitted materials and other information as well as in connection with all advertising, marketing and promotional material related thereto, together with use on any other VerticalScope web sites. You agree that you shall have no recourse against VerticalScope for any alleged or actual infringement or misappropriation of any proprietary right in your communications to SocialAnxietySupport.com.
In order to maintain an informative and valuable service that meets the needs of the users of the Web Site and avoids the harm that can result from disseminating statements that are false, malicious, in violation of the rights of others, or otherwise harmful, it is necessary to establish the following rules to protect against abuse.
You may not:

Restrict or inhibit any other user from using and enjoying the Web Site.
Use the Web Site to impersonate any person or entity, or falsely state or otherwise misrepresent your affiliation with a person or entity.
Interfere with or disrupt any servers or networks used to provide the Web Site or its features, or disobey any requirements, procedures, policies or regulations of the networks we use to provide the Web Site.
Use the Web Site to instigate or encourage others to commit illegal activities or cause injury or property damage or interfere with business interests or contractual relations of any person.
Gain unauthorized access to the Web Site, or any account, computer system, or network connected to this Web Site, by means such as hacking, password mining or other illicit means.
Obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available through this Web Site.
Use the Web Site to post or transmit any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, libelous, flaming, hateful, offensive (whether in relation to sex, race, religion or otherwise), defamatory, obscene, vulgar, harassing, pornographic, profane or indecent information of any kind, including without limitation any transmissions constituting or encouraging conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or otherwise violate any local, state, provincial, national or international law.
Use the Web Site to post or transmit any information, software or other material that violates or infringes upon the rights of others, including material that is an invasion of privacy or publicity rights or that is protected by copyright, trademark or other proprietary right, or derivative works with respect thereto, without first obtaining permission from the owner or rights holder.
Use the Web Site to post or transmit any information, software or other material that contains a virus or other harmful component.
Use the Web Site to post, transmit or in any way exploit any information, software or other material for commercial purposes, or that contains advertising.
Use the Web Site to advertise or solicit to anyone to buy or sell products or services, to cease using the Web Site, to visit another competing Web Site, or to make donations of any kind, without our express written approval.
Gather for marketing purposes any email addresses or other personal information that has been posted by other users of the Site.
You agree to indemnify SocialAnxietySupport.com and VerticalScope and each of its officers, directors, employees, agents, distributors and affiliates from and against any and all third party claims, demands, liabilities, costs, or expenses, including reasonable legal fees, resulting from your breach of any of the foregoing, or other provisions of these Terms and Conditions of Service.
You understand that we have no obligation to monitor any bulletin boards, chat rooms, web logs, or other areas of the Web Site through which users can supply information or material. However, we reserve the right at all times to disclose any information we believe necessary to satisfy any law, regulation or governmental request, or to refuse to post or to remove any information or materials, in whole or in part, that in our sole discretion are objectionable or in violation of these Terms and Conditions of Service. We also reserve the right to deny access to the Web Site or any features of the Web Site to anyone, for any reasons, including as a result of persons who violate these Terms and Conditions of Service or who, in our sole judgment, interferes with the ability of others to enjoy our website or infringes the rights of others.
*Moderators*
Acting as a moderator of a forum on SocialAnxietySupport.com is an unofficial, volunteer role. Moderators are not employees, contractors or agents of SocialAnxietySupport.com or VerticalScope. VerticalScope and SocialAnxietySupport.com are not responsible for actions or inactions of moderators. 
If you act as a moderator, you agree that: 

You will always act in good faith as a moderator. You should always maintain a calm and cordial demeanor as moderator.
You will not accept any gifts, favors or other compensation from third parties in connection with or related to your actions as a moderator.
You should not promote or advertise any particular product, brand or service, and should remain impartial.
You will comply with these Terms and Conditions of Service, along with the moderating guidelines and content policies of VerticalScope made available to you from time to time. You will take appropriate action whenever you are notified of content that violates VerticalScope policy or promptly escalate matters to VerticalScope for review. To the extent you are uncertain about what is the appropriate action in particular circumstances, you will contact VerticalScope.
You are not authorized to act on behalf of VerticalScope and may not represent to others that you are authorized to act on behalf of, or otherwise bind VerticalScope. 
As a moderator, you may receive or have access to confidential and/or non-public information. You will not publish any of this information online or share any of this information with third parties. You will keep this information secure and will protect this information from being accessed or seen by others. You will not use any of this information except in connection with your role as a moderator. If you believe any of this information in your possession has been accessed inappropriately, you will promptly contact VerticalScope. You will continue to comply with the provisions in this paragraph, even after you are no longer a moderator.
VerticalScope may revoke your right to moderate at any time, for any reason, and may in its sole discretion, overturn any action or decision that you make.
*Copyright Policy*
SocialAnxietySupport.com has adopted and implemented a copyright policy in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. For more information, please refer to our copyright policy at SocialAnxietySupport.com/help/copyright
In appropriate circumstances and at our sole discretion, we may disable and/or close the accounts of users who repeatedly infringe or are repeatedly charged with infringing the copyrights or other intellectual property rights of others.
*Passwords*
To use certain features of the Web Site, you will need a username and password, which you will receive through the Web Site's registration process. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the password and account, and are responsible for all activities (whether by you or by others) that occur under your password or account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security, and to ensure that you exit from your account at the end of each session. We cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your password or account information.
*Classified Advertising*
The Web Site may include certain classified advertising services. When you submit a classified ad for publication on the Web Site, you agree that the advertisement as it appears on the Web Site becomes our property and you assign all ownership interest in the advertisement as it appears on the Web Site under copyright law or otherwise to us. Submission of an advertisement does not constitute a commitment to publish the advertisement, and publication of an advertisement does not constitute an agreement for continued publication. We will accept only standard abbreviations and require proper punctuation. We reserve the right to edit, reclassify, revise, reject or cancel any advertisement at any time, in our sole discretion.
*Affiliate Links*
SocialAnxietySupport.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other similar affiliate advertising programs which are designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to such affiliates' websites such as Amazon.com. SocialAnxietySupport.com reserves the right to overwrite or replace any affiliate, commercial, or monetizable links, posted by users of SocialAnxietySupport.com, with our own internal tracking. You agree not to post or otherwise make available content that constitutes or contains "affiliate marketing," "link referral code," or "unsolicited commercial advertisement."
*Termination*
We may cancel or terminate your right to use the Web Site or any part of the Web Site at any time without notice. In the event of cancellation or termination, you are no longer authorized to access the part of the Web Site affected by such cancellation or termination. The restrictions imposed on you with respect to material downloaded from the Web Site, and the disclaimers and limitations of liabilities set forth in these Terms and Conditions of Service, shall survive.


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## Memories of Silence

This thread will be bumped each month to make sure more people can find it and read it.


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