Negative Posts And Goodbyes

[Vera]

Dear all,

In an effort to eliminate barriers that may prevent members from participating, feeling safe in, healing, and benefiting fully from After Silence, we ask that members direct their complaints to the moderators (by sending them a PM) instead of posting them in the board. If you feel you have been treated unjustly, please do contact a moderator directly and we will do our best to assist you.

This decision is mostly based on the growing frustration members experience with seeing the place they feel safe in and use to heal being attacked and questioned too harshly. It diverts energy away from their recovery and it often neutralizes the efforts of members who genuinely contribute to the board.

This does not mean that members may not make suggestions (in fact, we thrive on them and we greatly appreciate them) or express their concern on a given issue, but they must do so appropriately. Any post viewed as bashing of After Silence, bashing of moderators' decisions, personal attacks against another poster or the board will be deleted. This also includes posts in which members complain about another member publicly, even if the member's name is not specified in the post.

In addition, this guideline applies to posts in which members express the wish to leave. Member may of course post about leaving the board, but must do so in an appropriate way. If a member blames AS, the mods, chat mods, or other members, her or his goodbye post will be removed.

Needlessly to say, we are always sad to see a member leave and we appreciate having the chance to say goodbye to a member and wish her or him the very best. However, blaming others for your decision to leave or posting about leaving without really going to leave is not fair to the members who take time to reply to a member goodbye post and perhaps even try to convince her or him to stay.

As of today, members who post about leaving the board indefinitely will be placed in "inactive status" and will not be able to access the board. Members are ALWAYS welcome to come back. We have always welcomed our members back and will continue to do so, but you must alert the moderators via email and request to be placed back in active status. Please note that this rule does not apply to members who are taking some time off from the board, but only to these who post about leaving the board indefinitely.

Remember that After Silence is a healing-based community, and recovery needs to be everyone's top priority, something that is severely compromised by constant negativity. We owe it to each other and to ourselves to function as a positive community.

Thank you,

AS Moderator