This was a sticky post on the board before the last format change - I don't know why it didn't come over. Oh well, please read this and reply with any questions if you are unclear.



Here are The Bump's Terms of Use: https://www.thebump.com/terms.html

More importantly, here are The Bump Community Rules that gives examples and explains the Terms of Use: https://pregnant.thebump.com/extras/the-bump-community-extras/articles/community-rules.aspx

For those who just want to read it now:

Welcome to The Bump Community!

This is a great place to meet other moms in your area and in the same stage of pregnancy or parenting. In the community you can share great advice, your funny stories and vent about parenting life.

However there are a few rules we ask that you follow. Please read the following rules before joining in on the discussion. These rules were created to help keep the community an informative, fun and enjoyable environment.

We’re all on the same page here – whether you’re TTC, pregnant or a parent – we’re all in this together and these forums were created to help us support one another.

Below is the short version of the community rules. A full version can be found here.
(The rules for our member-created social groups can be found here.)

By creating an account on The Bump that will be actively posting in the community, you must commit to the following:

1. Remember the human: Malicious behavior is not acceptable here

When you communicate online, all you see is a computer screen – you are anonymously conversing with others behind a screen. This does not give you the right to maliciously criticize or attack others. Remember – there is a human on the other side of that screen. Adhere to the same standards of behavior online that you follow in real life.

The Bump encourages you to share your opinions while respecting others' thoughts and feelings as well. Feel free to share, but be ready to hear and accept other opinions that you may not always agree with. Because you do not agree with someone, does not mean this is the place to attack anyone else's beliefs.

Personal attacks are unacceptable. These posts include, but are not limited to: starting a thread with a user's name as the topic/title to "bash" them, linking to a thread to call out a user on their post, thoughts or beliefs (not a topic), calling a username out maliciously, starting a malicious or derogatory poll/question about a user, using images (memes, gifs, etc.) in a direct attack/vicious manner, etc. If you're thinking of using a specific term such as a racist or derogatory insult, think again about why that's a bad idea, and don't do it.

Not sure what would qualify as unacceptable? Make sure you can answer NO to these questions about your post:

• Does this post put down or attack another user?
Any communication in the forums, even those expressing disagreement or opinions must be delivered in a manner that is respectful toward other users (ask for support, answer a question, further the discussion, etc).

• Is this post malicious in any way?
Regardless of intent, posts that contain any mean-spirited content may be removed and the poster may be banned.

• Is this post inflammatory?
Posts that contain any hint of maliciousness or provocation of users to gain attention may be removed.

If you answered YES to one or more, the post is not appropriate for The Bump forums and should not be posted.

If for any reason you are suspected of being malicious towards a user or group, there will be consequences that may eventually, if not automatically, lead to banning from the community.
The Bump administrators and volunteer moderators reserve the right to remove anything or any user we deem inappropriate or malicious at our own discretion.

2. Its All Public.

We know you are excited to share all of your news, whether it's on our boards, by posting your blog or via other personal websites, but remember: this is a public place, so make sure you trust those you are giving personal info to.

It is important to also remember that your username will come up in a search engine if searched - so please, keep in mind anyone can read what you have to say if they have your username.
If you are questioning how much should be shared about something, you are probably better off not posting about it.

NSFW material: Not allowed. We reserve the right to remove any post we deem offensive. This goes for pornographic material (yes, even gifs), vile language, etc. Keep it PG-13.

3. No Soliciting.

There are some incredibly talented Bumpies within our community with great ideas, but our boards are here for members to share ideas and hold discussions without feeling like they are being bombarded by promotions and solicitations. This applies to all sorts of businesses - photographers, graphic designers, Etsy shops, etc.

What does that mean exactly? No posts about your business, at all.

If a member asks for a business recommendation, you cannot respond with yours.
In your signature, you cannot mention your business whatsoever, or link to it (ebay, etsy, etc.)
You can, however, link to your personal blog.

If you are unsure about what's allowed (this can be confusing), just follow one general rule: other members should not be able to guess that you are a vendor of any sort.
All “spam” will be removed.

4. Personal Information and/or Messages are Not to Be Shared on the Boards.

No collecting, storing or posting another members' personal information, under any circumstance.

Regardless of what was shared by another member, you may not repost any "real" names, photos or any other identifying information.

Private messages within the community are meant to stay private, between two users. If someone reaches out to you with a private message, this message is to stay private. There is a reason it was taken off the boards and into your inbox. Please, respect each other and keep private messages private.

If you suspect that you have received "hate mail" in a private message, please contact a board moderator or a Bump administrator. You can also email community@thebump.com
Any violations will not be tolerated. Invading the privacy of another member will result in an immediate termination of your account.

5. Moderators and Reporting

While we have teams here at The Bump watching the boards, we understand that not every post that violates the rules will be addressed.

Moderators are Bumpies who go above and beyond their membership. They realize that the time they spent on the boards can be used to make them better, so they volunteer their time to moderate specific boards in the community. These members are here to utilize the boards just as you, but are also around to help other members and address issues. Moderators also have the ability to warn/ban users when necessary, based on their own discretion after reading and understanding the community rules. Moderators don't speak for the site, but they are here to help make our community a better place.

If you have a question about moderation, we’re happy to discuss it with you in private. You can PM an administrator or email community@thebump.com

The Bump also relies on our members to report posts you may think are out of line or violate the rules. If you see something out of line, please report it and it will be addressed.

If your posts are reported by a large number of users, or a high percentage of your posts are reported, your account will be reviewed by an administrator. After an in-depth review, you may be banned for something small because your cumulative posting record has shown that you consistently contribute negatively within the community.
We appreciate snarky and fun, but do not support those who are constantly negative or malicious.

Flagging: The flag feature is there for you to report a malicious or inappropriate post as well as spam, trolling, etc. Do not flag a post just because you disagree with a poster or do not like a poster. If a member is abusing the flagging button, action will be taken that may or may not end in a banning from our community.

Respect and help the admins and moderators not by replying to bad comments, but by flagging bad comments. That is what the button is there for.

6. Be Real.

No impersonating other members or employees of The Bump. Actions such as these are subject to banning or termination of account.

This includes creating a username as an "attack" or impersonation of another member/username (alter egos/AEs included), under any circumstance. There will be no tolerance for this behavior.

All usernames and their uses are always subject to review by The Bump administrators and moderators.

The Bump doesn’t allow multiple accounts per user.

"Trolling" The Bump boards by posting inflammatory or off-topic messages with the intent of provoking members/disrupting normal discussion is not permitted and will lead to banning from the boards.

The Bottom Line:

The Bump, its administrators and volunteer moderators reserve the right to remove or edit any posts at their sole discretion.

Any posts that are contributing to a negative and/or threatening atmosphere on our forums will be removed and may result in a warning, suspension or termination of your posting rights in the community.

If you would like to change a username, report a bug or an issue on the forums, or to delete your account, please contact your board moderator or email the administrator at community@thebump.com

Remember: this is not a comprehensive list. Our admins and moderators reserve the right to remove anything we deem inappropriate for our forum.