Clarification of Forum Rules Please :-)

[Babsie]

I know that on a few occasions I’ve been worried and have asked if someone could help a poster with something which seemed urgent. I hadn’t realised I shouldn’t do that.

[Omi]

I acknowledge the fact that we are not being asked what we think of the rule, just to respect it However, could some consideration be given to some flexibility and if necessary a slight re-jigging of this rule, please?

Whilst I can understand that currently there is a blanket rule that members must not post twice about the same subject and therefore as it stands these examples of rule-breaking should be identified and stopped, there does appear to be sound justification for doing this in some circumstances.

Jane had identified one area where members are alerted to a sad event in Health and suggested the offering of condolences. I have in the past seen this type of use also adopted in a similar way when a member is in need of support when coping with difficult decisions or events with a bunny. There is also the area mentioned by Babsie, where she's been concerned that advice is not being provided for issues, which appear to be urgent. I can also think of times where someone, particularly a new member, has posted about an issue in Health and has been concerned that her vet is not rabbit savvy, but doesn't know how to find another. I have often advised posting in Rabbit Chat, giving some idea of her location and asking for recommendations.

Staring us in the face also are instances where someone has been posting about a poorly bunny in Health and continues in Health to update about that bunny's death (sometimes updating the title sometimes not). They then repeat that information when posting in Rainbow Bridge. Strictly speaking, according to this rule, this should not be done

The rule, I think, is a good one, when it is used to prevent (usually new members) posting about a concern where they either are not really sure where it should go or where they are worried and would like an urgent response. In my experience this happens quite infrequently these days, but I think some wording of this rule should remain to cover those circumstances.

Perhaps this issue could be discussed again amongst Forum Admin, please.

[KarenM]

We already do use discretion and common sense when interpreting the rules and the situations you've described aren't really crossposting.

If someone asks a health related question and then wants to start a new thread to find a rabbit savvy vet, that's a different subject really and wouldn't be an issue.

Likewise, if someone posts on an ongoing thread to say their rabbit has passed away and also posts in Rainbow Bridge, common sense dictates really that it's usual to update an ongoing thread but also to want to post a tribute. We're not going to start removing those sorts of posts.

In general, there's no need for crossposting. If you feel someone has posted in the wrong place, you can report to us and ask us to move it. If the thread title is too vague, encourage the member to change it (add URGENT to the title, for example, and make sure it's descriptive enough) or ask us to do it. If something is so urgent that it needs an immediate response, then I'm guessing that it would often mean the poster should be going to the vet rather than waiting for replies, so that's probably the best advice to give. And if they need a rabbit savvy vet first, the RWAF have a list I believe.

I also think that, if people are worried they're not going to see important posts without having them pointed out elsewhere by another member, maybe just make a point of venturing into other parts of the forum more often.

[Omi]

Thank you for your response. I'm not convinced that the circumstances are able to be classified in quite such a black and white way, so it it reassuring to know that you do use discretion and common sense when interpreting the rules.

[Graciee]

We already do use discretion and common sense when interpreting the rules and the situations you've described aren't really crossposting.

If someone asks a health related question and then wants to start a new thread to find a rabbit savvy vet, that's a different subject really and wouldn't be an issue.

Likewise, if someone posts on an ongoing thread to say their rabbit has passed away and also posts in Rainbow Bridge, common sense dictates really that it's usual to update an ongoing thread but also to want to post a tribute. We're not going to start removing those sorts of posts.

In general, there's no need for crossposting. If you feel someone has posted in the wrong place, you can report to us and ask us to move it. If the thread title is too vague, encourage the member to change it (add URGENT to the title, for example, and make sure it's descriptive enough) or ask us to do it. If something is so urgent that it needs an immediate response, then I'm guessing that it would often mean the poster should be going to the vet rather than waiting for replies, so that's probably the best advice to give. And if they need a rabbit savvy vet first, the RWAF have a list I believe.

I also think that, if people are worried they're not going to see important posts without having them pointed out elsewhere by another member, maybe just make a point of venturing into other parts of the forum more often.

Agreed.

I think the thing to remember here is, none of the posts Babsie made were actually removed, nor did the mod team contact Babsie to say they aren't allowed. We have to use our discretion when enforcing rules on the forum. A crosspost does clog things up.

I'm not sure how we can edit the rule, all the rules could be changed to list a million different outcomes with exceptions, but we'd be here all day and it would probably be so complicated and hard to follow. Probably akin to the coronavirus legislation, nobody needs that

At the end of the day, we have to be sensitive to members mental health. We've always taken that extremely seriously on the forum, and there's no getting away from the fact that this forum is an escape for many, and we don't need rabbit chat full of cross posts alerting that something bad has happened in health.

Imo, asking for a vet recommendation for an area, is a new post and a useful one to have in rabbit chat, also helps people when they search to bring up old recommendations.

Rainbow Bridge is for tributes, I don't think that counts as duplicating whatever may have happened in the health section to the bunny. It's for pictures and text of the deceased rabbits story, which again if people don't wish to read, are kept separate in that section.

We definitely consider and discuss the unique situation before taking action though

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[KarenM]

Thank you for your response. I'm not convinced that the circumstances are able to be classified in quite such a black and white way, so it it reassuring to know that you do use discretion and common sense when interpreting the rules.

That's absolutely it, and the forum rules are purposely left quite general in places because, like Graciee also just pointed out, trying to write rules to fit every specific event would be impossible.

The disadvantage of that, of course, is that it leaves us open sometimes to the "One rule for one, another for everyone else" accusation if a member feels we've interpreted the rules differently for them compared to someone else. That's not how we operate though; it's always on a case by case basis not a case of who you're friends with etc.