Community Guidelines

Sharing Life Community guidelines

The Sharing Life exists to connect people through lived experience. These Community Guidelines explain how to participate safely and respectfully. By using our services, you agree to follow these rules. They work alongside our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

 

1. Purpose and Tone

Be kind, be honest, be constructive. Share what helped you – never shame, never pile on. Challenge ideas, not people.

 

2. What’s Welcome

  • Lived experience – your own story and what you learned.
  • Practical tips and signposts to reputable resources.
  • Empathy over judgement.
  • Evidence-aware discussion (cite sources where possible).

 

3. What’s Not Welcome

  • Abuse, harassment, threats, hostile behaviour.
  • Hate speech or discrimination of any kind.
  • Posting others’ personal data (doxxing).
  • Medical, legal or financial instructions presented as professional advice.
  • Dangerous misinformation or unsafe content.
  • Illegal content (inciting violence, criminal activity).
  • Defamatory content or naming/shaming individuals or businesses.
  • Spam, scams, or commercial promotion without permission.

 

4. Sensitive Topics and Safeguarding

Certain topics require extra care:

  • Self-harm/suicide: do not share methods or details; add content notes; we may edit or remove specifics and signpost to Samaritans (116 123, jo@samaritans.org).
  • Eating disorders: no harmful tips or glamorising content.
  • Sexual violence, domestic abuse, child safety: share experiences without naming third parties. We may escalate if someone appears at immediate risk.
  • Health info: share experiences, not prescriptive treatment plans. Link to NHS or other reputable sources.

 

5. Privacy, Anonymity and Minors

  • Only post your own story – not others’ without consent.
  • No posting images of children/vulnerable adults without guardian consent.
  • Avoid sharing details you would not want public.
  • Under-13s are not allowed to participate.

 

6. Defamation and Legal Matters

  • Do not name individuals or businesses when making allegations of crime, abuse, negligence, or fraud.
  • Focus on your experience and outcomes.
  • Posts risking identification will be anonymised or removed.
  • Avoid posting about ongoing legal cases.

 

7. Moderation Approach

  • Posts are reviewed against these rules. We use post-moderation plus community reporting.
  • We may:
    – Lightly edit posts (for safety, privacy, tone).
    – Remove posts that break rules.
    – Warn, suspend, or ban accounts if behaviour continues.
    – Escalate urgent safety concerns to emergency services where lawful.

 

8. Sanctions Ladder

  • 1st issue: Friendly nudge or edit/removal.
  • 2nd: Formal warning, possible restrictions.
  • 3rd: Temporary suspension.
  • Serious/repeated harm: Immediate ban.Appeals: Email moderation@thesharing.life with the post link and reason.

 

9. Posting Checklist

Before you post, ask:

  • Is this my story, not someone else’s?
  • Could this identify a private individual? If yes, anonymise.
  • Is there a live legal case? If yes, don’t post details.
  • Am I giving instructions? If yes, reframe as ‘what worked for me’.
  • Could this trigger harm? If yes, add a content note.

 

10. Commercial Content

  • Declare any financial or personal interest in products or services.
  • Affiliate/sponsored content requires our written permission and clear labelling.

 

11. Licensing Your Content

You own your words. By posting, you give The Sharing Life a licence to host, edit for safety/clarity, and publish your content. We may feature anonymised excerpts in round-ups or with expert commentary.

 

12. How to Report

  • Use the Report function on posts.
  • Or email report@thesharing.life with the link and explanation.
  • Mark URGENT if it’s a safety issue.

 

13. Helpful Resources

These Community Guidelines may be updated from time to time. Check this page for the latest version.

 

Annex A – Moderator Checklist

When reviewing posts:

  • Does it contain abuse, harassment, or hate? Remove or warn.
  • Does it name/shame or risk defamation? Remove/anonymise.
  • Is it medical/legal/financial advice stated as fact? Edit/reframe or remove.
  • Is there personal data (names, addresses, etc.)? Redact.
  • Does it cover self-harm/suicide/eating disorders? Remove harmful detail, add support links.
  • Is it commercial promotion? Remove unless authorised.Always log actions taken and provide clear reasons if asked. Escalate urgent risks to emergency services if necessary.