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BOOM Rethink the Drink Community Guidelines, Rules, and Regulations
Welcome to BOOM Rethink the Drink.
BOOM is a peer support group based on the model of community blogging. We are NOT trained addiction counselors nor does the BOOM Community offer one on one coaching. We do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, and or treatment, nor does anything on this website create a physician/patient relationship. If you require medical advice, diagnosis or treatment please seek out professional help. Links for crisis hotlines as well as information concerning the possible risks of detox from alcohol are available here and at the bottom of the page.
BOOM is a diverse community. We are people of different nationalities, cultures, and ethnicities. Some people are here to stop drinking and some to cut down. We ask that you read these guidelines carefully so that we can interact in a positive and constructive manner, learn from one another, and ultimately avoid conflict.
Table of Contents: To quickly find a topic please tap the active title in this table
- Who are We and What do We Do in Boom
- Protocol
- How to Use the Moderate Drinking Group
- Zoom Protocol
- Your Hosts
- Your Privacy
- Avoiding Posts with images that Trigger
- How to Report
- How to Block
- How to Use the Private Chat
- How to Delete a Post or Comment
- Solicitation and self-promotion
- How to Find Your Way Around BOOM
CONFIDENTIALITY
BOOM Rethink the Drink is a private member-only site. What is shared here can only be seen by current members who are signed up and signed in. No content should be shared outside of the BOOM community without the express permission of the author.
The amount of personal information a member chooses to disclose in posts or on their profile is entirely voluntary. We do encourage you to create an anonymous profile. You do not need to share your real name or location with us in the community.
Our host is Mighty Networks – You can find their Privacy Policies here Our Policies, Data Security Setup, and Privacy Promise
Are You Here To Stop Drinking or Slow Down?
All members are welcome to participate in the primary network, however, out of consideration for people focused on early sobriety who might be triggered by a romantic ideal of having ‘just one,’ please keep posts related to cutting down on alcohol slowly rather than full stop,The Sinclair Method, and mindfully moderate drinking lifestyle goals, in the moderate drinking group. Equally, out of consideration for our moderate drinkers, please do not post your thoughts on the importance of abstinence in their group.
If you are working toward moderate drinking goals, please join and post in the Moderate Drinking Group. – This post explains further – How to Use the Moderate Drinking Group in BOOM
GETTING THE MOST OUT OF BOOM
The BOOM Rethink the Drink Community was modeled after the Australian website Hello Sunday Morning which was originally a Word Press community blog. The intent of that blogging community was to refocus your relationship with alcohol by writing each Sunday morning about how it felt to live the previous week alcohol-free. In that format, people were able to share their ideas, experiences and support each other in a creative and deeply personal way.
Language is powerful – it can empower or divide. Please always speak respectfully and remember that we are all here to share our unique experience.
Most of us in the early days alcohol-free, or in relapse after slipping, are very sensitive. We ask that the vibe in the main Boom Community remain supportive. Please take extreme caution not to force your own opinions onto someone else.
Do not offer advice when it is not requested and when it is requested please remember that we are peers, not counselors – If you start the phrase “from my experience” you will likely not demean or offend. Conversely, if you find yourself starting with a phrase like “you should” or “you have to”, rethink your statement as it’s very likely veering into the realm of unsolicited advice. We encourage you to talk about things that work for you, as things that work for you, not necessarily the thing that will fix someone else.
We ask that members respect the diversity of our community and exercise discretion when posting sensitive material. Content warnings or “trigger” warnings at the very beginning of the post in such cases are appreciated.
Once you have been around BOOM a while, or if you are comfortable with a less controlled environment – we invite you to add this group to your home feed – Outside of the Bottle
CHAT FUNCTION
Group Chat
We have recently added a group chat which is open to all community members who are interested in casual chatting. Our guidelines for respect and consideration in the group chat are the same as they are elsewhere in the community. open here
Private Chat
If you have a private question or concern please send a message to the Boom Rethink the Drink profile.
The private Chat function in BOOM Rethink the Drink is provided by the Mighty Networks platform for one-on-one messages. Please do not use it for material that would be more useful and productive in the general forum. The vitality and efficacy of our community are determined by our sharing openly and supporting each other within the group rather than individually in chats. We encourage you to maintain an anonymous profile for this reason.
Our community is most helpful when all members have a chance to weigh in, and is safest for all when communications are done out in the group.
If you are offered one on one counseling or private coaching by a member of this community, please report that – as stated above – we are peers, not counselors – BOOM Rethink the Drink does not offer or encourage private one on one coaching.
If a member is focused solely on private chat rather than community interaction their account may be deleted at the discretion of the administration. This is based on our experience with internet scams that use private messages to get personal information from people ie: email addresses and WhatsApp or phone numbers.
Note that Chat messages may be viewed by the administration if they are reported.
Deleting posts
If you have composed a post, submitted it, and then reconsidered – you can delete or edit it using the three-dot icon in the right corner of the post box.
More from Mighty Networks on how to Post Creating Quick Posts vs. Articles
Respect and Consideration
The positive and supportive dynamic in our conversation is built on trust and mutual respect. We keep a close eye on the posts as they are published to ensure a safe and secure community for all users. If you see a post or comment that you think is contrary to these regulations, please contact one of our room moderators or message the administration profile
Interacting in posts and comments is the cornerstone of our community. In order to maintain the uniquely supportive vibe that we have evolved, we ask that you take responsibility to avoid any hint of censure, belittlement, scolding, or preaching disguised as sharing in your words. Knowing there is no risk of judgment is what makes others feel safe sharing their stories, and we are committed to maintaining a safe environment for everyone.
BOOM has a zero-tolerance policy for Offensive or Abusive posts or comments
Boom members are broadly a reflection of our various societies. We have diverse political, religious, and other social beliefs. We hope that in your posts you feel free to express yourself, but please be respectful of those with views that may differ from your own. In this community, we all work together to heal and will not benefit from political polarization.
We have groups that are an extension of the main BOOM community feed where you can post more freely on specific topics.
If in your post you want to talk about your political affiliation, your feelings about your life, or the state of the world in a way that reflects a prejudice toward one side or the other of the international political divide, if you have something you wish to share that you think may start a conversation that is political in nature and therefore potentially divisive or if you want to share something that might be a bit off-topic in a questionable way but not offensive, please post that in the group. Outside the Bottle.
We represent many traditional religions, agnosticism, atheism, philosophies, and spirituality that is not religious in nature. For many, sobriety includes an evolving spiritual awareness; if you wish to share prayers, affirmations, or spiritual observations please do, but make the effort to do so in a way that is not dogmatic.
Membership in the BOOM Rethink the Drink community is a privilege, not a right. As Hosts, we do not wish to censor but we will err on the side of caution to maintain an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere for all in the community. There is no specific rule concerning the language used in posts apart from it being within the bounds of “not gratuitous.” Please be aware that what is considered ‘OK’ by some may not be by others.
Posts found to be divisive, confrontational, violent, or politically inflammatory may be edited or removed. Harassing, defamatory, obscene, profane, predatory, discriminatory, homophobic, racist, or otherwise objectionable material will be deleted and the submitting member contacted by Administration. Continuing behavior of this nature will incur suspension or exclusion from the community.
Zoom Meetings
Boom is a peer support group, based on the model of community blogging. In addition to the work we all do together in BOOM through posting and commenting on each other’s posts, we invite you to join us in our Zoom meetings to relax and chat face to face.
You’ll find the Zoom meetings listed in your time zone on the events tab on the menu – Events
Each Zoom meeting will be hosted by members of our administration team. This is your self-managed journey, and we are ultimately here to support your self-directed recovery. We are not trained addiction counselors and cannot provide medical advice, treatment, or diagnosis.
Please share what you are comfortable sharing, but let’s respect each other to give everyone an opportunity to speak. Don’t hesitate to mute your microphone if you happen to experience background noise.
We ask that you use the name that you use in BOOM in our Zoom meetings.
And last, but not least, we ask that you respect our community guidelines by not drinking alcohol during our meeting. We are trying to escape the drinking community, and this isn’t really the place for alcohol.
No content shared in the ZOOM meetings should be shared outside of the meeting.
These meetings are NOT recorded.
How to block
You can choose to block members whose posts you would rather not see. This post explains how to block another member in BOOM. Blocking is reversible and maybe a good course of action to take while the Hosts have an opportunity to resolve any situation that might be volatile or hurtful.
You can also remove individual posts from your feed without blocking the member entirely. How to Control What You See on Your Feed
COMMUNITY RULES
Please Do not share images of alcohol in your Posts in the Main BOOM Group
For people in their first weeks and months alcohol-free, images of alcohol used in advertising or articles can be triggering. We ask that this be a safe space for people struggling with cravings, so please make the effort to not share those images on the main page. If you have an article that you would like to share that uses a romanticized image of alcohol, you can share without embedding the link. This explains how. If you are unsure, please ask for help from a Host.
Spamming, Soliciting, self-promoting:
Many web communities discourage or ban the posting of links to resources that come from other blogs and websites. We do not. We encourage you to share the resources that have helped you even if the links to those resources – books and blogs and podcasts and youtube videos – may carry a promotional pitch for an internet service, community, book, or product. We do not consider the open sharing of resources that have genuinely helped our members to be solicitation.
However, if you have joined our community to promote your product – blog, book, web community, service, or coaching – we will remove your posts and delete your account.
If you have any questions at all about what is and isn’t appropriate to post please do ask by messaging the BOOM Rethink the Drink profile HERE
The Boozemusings blog and Boom community were designed by, and are run by hard-working dedicated volunteers. We do not accept advertising, promotional, or sponsored posts for our Boozemusings blog, and Spamming, Soliciting and self-promoting inside BOOM will result in your account being deleted.
ROLE OF HOSTS And MODERATORS
You will find a list of community hosts at this link inside BOOM Members/Hosts . Our hosts are members of the community who have a long term commitment to participation within the group. The moderators are chosen from that list of hosts as people who are currently active in the community and can help you to find your way around. If you have a question or concern you can look to see who is active among the hosts by checking for a green dot next to ther name on that list.
The BOOM Rethink the Drink profile is connected to a group of moderators who discuss and resolve situations privately. We can only keep this community as productive and welcoming as it is if you report behavior that is inappropriate. We do reserve the right to remove any posts that we think are not in the best interest of this community or its users.
How to report a post or comment
If you are offended or feel threatened by a post, comment, or private chat message please report it to one of our Hosts who is present in the room or to the BOOM Rethink the Drink profile by chat message. To do that click on their profile picture or name. That will take you to their profile page. Click the box that says, “Say Hello”.
Posts that are reported will not necessarily be deleted. Deletion is up to the discretion of the Hosts based on our experience with the community.
If you receive a damaging, harassing or hurtful comment please do not instigate a confrontation in the open forum; instead, enlist the support of a Host to assist in the resolution in a safe manner.
If you have questions or concerns, contact our Admin profile Boom Rethink the Drink or an individual Host. All such contacts are confidential, however, decisions concerning reports will be made privately by a minimum of three hosts and you will be notified of the outcome via chat message.
Welcome to BOOM!
We ask that you adhere to all of the guidelines above, in order to best maintain the integrity of our community. We thank you for your support in doing so. We are happy to have you here with us and look forward to sharing this space with you!
More Reading :
An Invitation to Rethink the Drink with Us
Boozemusings is a lifestyle blog and the BOOM Community is a peer support group. We are NOT trained addiction counselors but simply a community of people who have overcome or are overcoming alcohol issues. We do not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, nor does anything on this website create a physician/patient relationship. If you require medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, please consult your physician. Your privacy is our first priority. To maintain anonymity, when posting in BOOM we encourage you to create an anonymous profile.
