Some Guidelines for Sharing

[Bay Canary Grapevine]

Some Guidelines for Sharing

Rules of confidentiality and anonymity are cornerstones of all support groups. They exist so that people can be candid about the depth of their feelings with some basic trust that they have a choice of who they share them with.

This, however, is a public group, and its contents are visible to anyone who knows how to find them. It means that each person must negotiate for themselves their sense of safety and how open they are about the details of their lives. Practically that means that some members may choose not to use an email address that identifies their legal identity, while on the other end of the spectrum others may reveal precisely who they are and how and where they can be found.

The archives are publicly visible because there is a large community of chemically injured and our allies who do not have easy access to relevant information and support. Some struggle with computer access, some with just using a computer at all. Some of the individuals who may be in such a situation are people who are homeless, who are elders, or whose disabilities present particular challenges for working on a computer. While those who read the archives or peruse the files may not be able to post, they are part of our larger community and spending time with us, even without the ability to fully participate, can be of comfort to them. The visibility of our group is very much about access and inclusion, as well as transparency in a community that keeps far too many secrets, and far too often from each other.

This group exists because of a need for open, honest, and uncensored communication, which many of us found stifled by rigid moderation in other groups. There is minimal monitoring by the moderator here, and members are expected to conduct themselves responsibly with the intent of creating a safe place for sharing:

Controversial discussions and differences of opinion are welcome, but open communication does not include critiquing or judging how other members live their lives. No one has the right to interfere with someone else's life choices, and everyone is responsible for their own actions. Once you give advice to someone, it is their decision whether they want to follow it or not. Please give others the benefit of the doubt, and ask for clarification, before reacting negatively to what others are sharing. It is not okay to discuss information about another member that they did not themselves share openly. Gossip, shaming, bigotry, infiltration, or any other abusive behavior will not be tolerated, and will result in removal from the list.