SUPPORT GROUP RULES OF CONDUCT
These Rules of Conduct are designed to help provide a quality and caring environment for members. Please take time to read them and keep them in mind whenever you participate.
Support Group Disclaimer –
Owners who join Australian Dachshund IVDD Support, do so at “their own risk”. Dachshund IVDD Support Australia (Teckel Tails Ltd), its admins, moderators, volunteers and representatives shall not be held responsible for comments, opinions expressed, or beliefs & values that may impinge on the rights of others when posting.
Forum outline –
This Support Group often deals with confronting and heart-breaking issues. Please consider when participating in this forum “paying it forward” to those who are seeking support and guidance, sometimes all that is needed is a kind ear and a virtual hand to hold, it really can be that simple. Providing posts are kept within the guidelines of this document, We welcome constructive and helpful advice on all matters relating to IVDD, we consider that knowledge is power and no question is a silly one.
Use of photos for DISA’s Awareness & Educational profile –
DISA is dedicated to providing awareness, education & support to owners throughout the Australian and Oceana regions. Upon joining this group you accept that photos posted by yourself of your dachshund can be used for awareness and education purposes on DISA’s Social Media platforms. We will tag you in the Support Group when a photo is used and will not post a photo of a human (adult or child) unless specifically agreed to by yourself. We shall endeavour to tag your Instagram account if possible.
Posting within the Group –
All new posts are approved by Admin before listing. If there are any issues, an admin will get in touch to discuss them.
Remember, we are all volunteers –
The right person isn’t always available at the right time to answer a question and admins do receive many “repeat performer” questions which are time-consuming. If you are looking for urgent help search DISA’S WEBSITE which was developed with this in mind and is a place where you can freely access information, support and resources relating to anything IVDD. Alternatively, you can also search through the forum using the Topic categories displayed at the top of the Facebook group.
Ask an admin before you post –
Please do not post with the comment “admin please delete if not appropriate”. If in doubt look up the admins under Members, and send one of them a message.
Private Messages & Public Content –
The Support Group is a closed Facebook group that admits general public members in good faith. Private Messaging without the express permission of the intended recipient is not permitted. If for a genuine reason, a member wishes to reach out to another member by Private Message, first obtain their permission by tagging them in the relevant post and requesting them to check their messages.
PRIVATE MESSAGING ETIQUETTE – The forum is moderated by Volunteers and admits public members in good faith. DISA and its volunteers will not be held responsible for comments made by members either on a public post or via a personal message. Private messaging without the express permission of the intended recipients is not permitted. If for a genuine reason, a member wishes to reach out to another member by private message, first obtain their permission by tagging them in the relevant post and requesting them to check their messages. If a member receives an unauthorised message or one that makes them feel uneasy, please contact admins Get in Touch
Facebook T & C’s –
By using or accessing this forum, you agree to comply with Facebook’s Terms of Service https://www.facebook.com/legal/terms
Right of removal –
We reserve the right to remove any posts that do not adhere to its rules and to remove and/or block anyone who violates them.
Respect & Conduct –
Please respect other members, admins & moderators. This means comments must not be inappropriate, abusive, contain profanity or be otherwise offensive. Remember, that when giving and receiving advice and opinions it should be offered in a diplomatic and constructive manner. Due to the forum’s nature, emotions can often overrule the fingers. If for some reason this is happening to you, walk away, take some time out and come back when your head is clear and you can deal with the issue objectively. The Support Group exists to assist members in times of need, and we ask that the pages remain friendly and supportive for all.
Blocking –
Blocking or failing to communicate with an admin or moderator will lead to the removal of the member from the group.
Relevance to topics –
To ensure maximum benefit for everyone, please ensure that your comments are relevant to the thread on which you are posting. Also, any new posts should relate to dachshunds and/or IVDD. Posts not on topic will be removed.
Non IVDD Content –
Posts regarding non-IVDD related content will be removed.
Post moderation –
Before asking a specific question or posting links to outside websites/Facebook Pages etc., please take a moment to scan the Group and see if someone else has already posted a recent question or link to the same page/topic. If so bump the post by asking for further information if necessary. We request that similar or identical topical content not be posted with regular monotony, so as to keep any relevant discussions focused and not clutter the Group with duplicates.
Post etiquette-
Specifically, we do not tolerate these kinds of posts:
- Profane, defamatory, offensive or violent language
- “Trolling”, or posting deliberately disruptive statements meant to hijack comment threads or throw discussions off-track
- Attacks on specific groups or any comments meant to harass, threaten or abuse an individual
- Hateful or discriminatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, sexual orientation or political beliefs
- Links or comments containing sexually explicit content material
- Discussion of illegal activity
- Spam, link baiting or files containing viruses that could damage the operation of other people’s computers or mobile devices
- Acknowledgement of intent to stalk an individual or collect private information without disclosure
- Commercial solicitations or promotion of a competitor
- Violations of copyright or intellectual property rights
- Content that relates to confidential or proprietary business information
- Content determined to be inappropriate, in poor taste, or otherwise contrary to the purposes of the forum
Advertising/Solicitation –
Please refrain from posting unsolicited advertisements that do not pertain directly to the intended use of this support group. Links to outside websites/Facebook Pages etc., especially those without direct relevance to DISA’s IVDD education, support and awareness program, are also discouraged and may be removed without notice.
Self-Promotion –
Posts that are deemed to be self-promotion whether personal or of a product, service or brand and deemed to be a conflict of interest can be removed at the discretion of DISA.
Tagging –
Please limit tagging in threads unless it is to alert another member to a topic of interest. Tagging individuals/organisations/businesses for support outside the Support Group, and without an explanation, will be deemed to be a conflict of interest and in breach of the forum’s purpose of awareness, education & support. DISA reserves the right to remove these tags and subsequent responses at its discretion.
Recommendation protocol –
As a duty of care, we reserve the right to remove tags/posts/recommendations for services (specialists/vets/allied services) listed by members of the support group. Please refer to our Disclaimer and prior to consenting to any treatment, ensure you conduct your own due diligence and see evidence of qualifications.
Goods & services for sale –
Unless approved by admin, posts related to sales or provision of a product or service whether for profit or not for profit are not permitted on this support forum.
Fundraising & Crowdfunding –
We do not wish members to become “donation fatigued” and we work hard to keep the forum true to its purpose of awareness, education & support. Admin does not have the time nor the resources to ratify ongoing requests for assistance, therefore fundraising posts (e.g. Go Funds) are not permitted. There are adequate opportunities to share and promote amongst Dachshund owners’ groups and personal Facebook pages
Privacy Duty of Care –
We will maintain a duty of care to ensure that the privacy of members is upheld and to provide a supportive and friendly environment free of vilification, negativity, hate speech and retribution. We will not add members who are known to actively “troll”, cause trouble or use the support group in a manner to obtain information about its members for slanderous purposes. DISA reserves the right to remove members from the group in circumstances where trolling and vilification become apparent.
Group Content Duty of Care –
We will strive to maintain a duty of care to ensure that the content contained in this Support Group is relevant to DISA’s IVDD education, support and awareness program. To this end, DISA reserves the right to remove unauthorised or non-sanctioned content at its discretion.