*RULE CHANGES NOW IN EFFECT* Rule Changes to the ED Forum *all MUST read*

[[Purple_Rain]]

Hey there ED boarders,

As most of you know, for the last eight months or so, the mods and members have been discussing the issue of the 'pro-ED' attitude that have been slowly affecting the ED board community.
This hasn't just been noticed by the Mods, but also by other staff, and members themselves, both from the ED board and others.

These complaints highlight that some threads, avatars and signatures, etc. give off the impression that an Eating disorder is a good, desirable, attractive, admirable...even normal thing.
This is something we're really trying to tackle; it'd be very damaging for the community to continue this way, considering how ill its' members are, and how we proudly state this board is for recovery.

Over the last year, the mods have discussed this and other issues with members of the ED forum, for example, this thread, where you guys, and other RYL members, really rose to the challenge quite magnificently.
The comments of which were invaluable when decisions were made about the "what are you wearing today" and the ED board picture threads.
Also from the feedback, the mods have become a lot more active in dealing with more questionable content, and have tried to steer the forum away from pro tendencies by sending PMs to members, editing threads or removing avatars.

However, despite the changes, and despite the best efforts of both us as moderators, and the whole community, we feel that it hasn't made a change enough to warrant no more action.
After long discussion with the members, staff, moderators, and Harley, we've decided to implement some new policies, to try to keep RYL, and the ED board, as recovery-orientated as possible, and to make the most of the wonderful resource we've got here.


These changes are now in effect.

__________________

The guidelines are:

1. There is a complete BAN on all numbers.
No numbers that refer to eating disordered behaviour or body size/shape will be allowed. This includes BMI, Weight, Calories, as well as numbers such as amount of purges, binges, laxatives taken, or days fasted.

The number aspect is only a small part of what an eating disorder is, and to move the board into a more positive spectrum of the disorder, we want to take the emphasis off numbers, and on to emotion.

Whilst numbers are no longer allowed, word categories are.
For example:
* "my weight is alot less than what is "average" for my height""
* "my BMI is considered underweight"
* "I ate heaps more than what is recommened for a daily requirement for someone my age, sex, and height"
* "I purged several times today"
* "i took alot more laxatives than what it says on the box/container" "


2. Any Pro/borderline/questionable avatars will be removed.
This includes avatars that contain: body shots, 'thinspirational' images, images that emphasize a person's thin physique, and well-known 'thinspirational' celebrities.
We have already been working on this, but will from now be taking a tougher approach, and will be penalising people who repeatedly break this rule.


3. Food lists are now completely banned.
Any list of food you have eaten, or are planning to eat, is NOT to be posted. This includes discussing any plans to go on a strict diet, or details of binges. This will apply to ALL forums, including the ED board, the ranting and Venting forum and RYL Journals.

The ONLY exemption to this rule is posting a meal plan set by your doctor or a qualified health professional e.g. a dietician. or posting a one-off positive announcement of foods eaten as a celebration of an important recovery-based milestone that has been achieved




4. Trigger labels.
As you will have noticed the trigger labels have all been removed apart from the *positive recovery post* label. These posts are to have NO TRIGGERING CONTENT WHATSOEVER. These are to be used, ideally, when an ED member achieves something on the road to recovery, no matter how big or small. We are no longer using any other trigger labels in this board, so please do not write in your own as they will be removed by the moderators. The trigger labels have been changed across RYL and this thread explains more.

__________________

These are not rules/guidelines, just changes.

* Stickies
There is a new-look to the stickies, to try and help the board become more recovery orientated. These include such threads as the medical complications of EDs, what to do when RYL triggers you, and other brilliant articles. These stickies should provide you with much needed information, as well as to make supporting others easier.
[Please note changes here have yet come into effect]

__________________

Please do remember the Post Report function - to find out more about it, click here. it makes the mods jobs a lot easier, as we are only human and have lives to live as well; RYL is such a huge place, and we are often pulled in many different directions on this website, and therefore its not always possible for the mods to always know every single thing that goes on in each board.

__________________

Guys, this isn't going to work unless we all join forces and work together.
After all, we are a community.
I know that we can do this if we try; we're not going to let the board deteriorate. We just want to build it back up to something we can all be proud of.

Please, please PLEASE bear in mind that this does NOT mean if you are not in recovery, you can't post. These rules aren't about forcing people into recovery at all! We just want to make the ED board as safe as possible for those in recovery, as helpful as possible for those who aren't, and to make the most of the fantastic resource we have here.

If you have any questions, feel free to PM to one of the ED board moderators -[Purple_Rain] , random.swirls - or to post any further questions here.

Thank you for your help.

The Moderating Team


__________________________________________________ _________

EDIT as of 10/03/09

The Terms 'Ana' and 'Mia' are now banned.
The terms 'ana' and 'mia' when in reference to the Eating Disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are now banned, due to severe 'pro' connotations. Suggested Alternitives are AN and BN.

[Dreaming.]

Wooh!

Fantastic :)
xxx

[UnanimousAnonymous]

thankyou so much for putting thse new rules in place, i was really starting to worry about the ED board and its effect on others. Hope this works out well xxxxxx

[Lil'MissLaLa]

Thanks for letting us know. The changes sound like a good idea and i'm also glad that other info is to be put up soon
x

[Sometimes Crazy]

Thank you Liz and the rest of the mod team :) Sounds good!

xx

[Snow White.]

Brilliant!

[Sans Peur]

Should be interesting, if not a little bit strange to begin with. Hopefully it will go well (Y)

[Tig]

Thank you, it sounds great :)

[Caru y Nos]

Quote:

Originally Posted by [Purple_Rain]

we are only human and have lives to live as well

That's a new one on me, Liz. :-P

I quite like this change, it solves alot of problems and should also help people feel confident in posting here as it gets rid of the 'people are worse than me' stigma. (:

I was going to say something else but then a teacher started talking to me (turns out moderators are human, teachers talk... i'm learning lots today!). ;]

Well done moddies!

Take Care,
Josh

[pixie*lyssie]

Thanks for this guys, I think this is a good idea and I hope people read this and follow the rules. I'm sorry if I triggered anyone in previous posts xx

[Heidi Tiger]

I hope these changes help the majority of the ED board.

Though I must admit I'm glad they weren't in place when I frequently posted here. The reason I joined RYL rather than somethingfishy was because I found the more relaxed rules a lot easier for me to ask for support on and to gain specific advice with regards to my weight/diet. It is a pity that because of people's competitiveness that these rules have had to be brought into place.

[Tears and Rain]

Looks like a fantastic idea Moddies :)

[snailonvalium]

i think this is a great idea....i was getting rather pee'd off with some of the posts on the board...so ive been spending less time here.....
i hope people just stick to the rules!xx

[Alone and Scared]

I kinda agree with Heidi Tiger, B-eat is fab, but you couldn't really say anything, which is why I loved it here - but I can understand why you are doing it.

It's not because people are competitive as such, it's the disorder that is competitive.

[beautiful&dying]

I don't think we need these rules really, but there you go, it seems my opinion is pretty unpopular. See how the trial period goes and take it from there I guess.

[Caru y Nos]

^
May i ask what is your reasoning for them not been needed is?

[whirlpools]

hi, i was just wondering, regarding

Quote:

3. Food lists are now completely banned.
Any list of food you have eaten, or are planning to eat, is NOT to be posted. This includes discussing any plans to go on a strict diet, or details of binges. This will apply to ALL forums, including the ED board, the ranting and Venting forum and RYL Journals.

does this mean we need to remove posts that we have already posted in our R/V regarding food lists? or we can just leave them as they are and carry on with the above rule?

[[Purple_Rain]]

Quote:

Originally Posted by whirlpools

hi, i was just wondering, regarding

does this mean we need to remove posts that we have already posted in our R/V regarding food lists? or we can just leave them as they are and carry on with the above rule?

The date given in the post for this rules to come into effect is the first of october, so all posts before that obey the old rules. however, if yours is a rant thread with udates often, it may be an idea to remove these lists. The reasoning behind our descision to ban them was becuase people found them triggering, and wer euseing them to trigger themselves, so obviously we'd rather not have any posts that are bumped ften with triggering content.

[EyelinerAndCigarettes]

dont you mean october liz? *licks*

[[Purple_Rain]]

yeah, sorry.

*Edits*