-- Posted by Bagheera at 12:41 pm on June 13, 2008 Do     1) Do post questions pertaining to a disability, an illness, a mental disorder (that is not depression), or anything which may handicap an individual.     2) Do be supportive in your replies. Give good quality answers and try and explain every point of the OP's question in as much detail as possible.     3) Do give links to trusted websites that can explain other possible questions that the OP might be thinking of but not necessarily have asked.     4) Do be clear, concise and informative in your reply. We don't need 500 lines of copy and pasted material. It's way too much and people aren't likely to be able to grasp all that information.   5) Do be open and honest so you can apply your knowledge and experiences to their situations. Think of how you might feel and indeed if you have the same condition give plenty of help, even to questions they may not have asked but you found to be helpful to you. What sort of things do you struggle with and how do you cope with it.     6) Do check back to the topics you've answered in. The OP might have more questions or followups and it is very helpful to continue the conversation as it reassures them.     7) Do report any posts which break LiveWire's guidelines.     8) Do research and find out more about disabilities if you're unsure.     9) Do educate other people about disabilities affecting you or someone you know. Why not write an entry for the LiveWire Guide To Disability?       Don't     1)Don't post topics stating I have [insert disability here] there is a sticky for this.   2) Don't ask anyone on here to diagnose you. We are not medical professionals and therefore cannot say whether you have [disability] or not.   3) Don't feel ashamed of having something classed as a 'disability'. It's just a word, and it no way implies that anyone thinks they are better than you. Remember that if you have a disability, there is a high chance someone else has it as well.     4) Don't try to answer medical questions that you're not sure of. If in doubt refer them to a professional or look up the answer from a respected website on the Internet. Don't just guess around.   5) Don't act condescending or patronising. Read what you type and make sure you don't act like they are inferior to you or any less than you. Whilst in may not seem like you do, often people can type things that imply something else. We wouldn't want to offend the OP or have them get the wrong idea.   6) Do not post anything that is not related to disabilities, chronic illnesses, mental disorders, or anything not related to a handicap of some kind. All topics pertaining to depression should be posted in the Teen Depression and Emotional Imbalance forum.   7) Do not consider a disability or handicap to be something along the lines of getting your car's tires slashed, thus having to walk instead of drive. Defining that as a disability is insulting to those who do actually suffer from one.       And don't forget, the rest of the guidelines that apply to any forum also apply here!   And another little thing... Please, if you have any other suggestions to make this forum effective, either post them here, or message me! -- Posted by Deeznutz FYC at 11:06 pm on June 28, 2008 Good guideline -- Posted by Slim Shady at 2:46 am on July 18, 2008 good guide -- Posted by iconoclast at 1:48 pm on July 31, 2008 mental disorders should be tdei except maybe severe autism or something which isnt a mental disorder -- Posted by carmen2487 at 7:18 pm on Sep. 23, 2008 great guide. =] -- Posted by MissunderstoodAngel at 5:05 am on Nov. 10, 2008 I think that they are great guidlines. Good Job -- Posted by Solitude at 7:38 pm on Nov. 15, 2008 great guidelines =)