Internet Safety and Say "No" to Offsites
Hello, Community!
I am writing today with an important reminder and update about User’s Safety and how it is a significant part of our community guidelines.
As a reminder, we have the following community guidelines page to ensure all users of the community be safe.
Be Safe means do not engage in any activities that involve personal information sharing or connecting with fellow users offsite by any means. It is forbidden in the user’s safety interest.
7Cups is a safe space to connect and build support connections on-site to support each other and learn, progress, and grow together. We encourage supportive connections.
Our priority is the user’s safety and ensuring every member of the community is safe. Practicing safety on the internet is much needed.
Said that AmongUs invitations, for example, are one of the forms of offsite contact and compromising with one’s own safety. We understand and recognize the need of having lighthearted and fun activities is required but at the same time, we would not recommend anyone to engage in offsite to have them. There are different formats of games and fun activities that can be hosted and played in the onsite chat rooms
7Cups Community is an anonymous platform to provide much needed emotional support. Being anonymous means we may not truly know the person on the other side of the screen. Please remember that. We are here to protect you but may not be able to do it if you connect with anyone offsite.
That’s why it is important for each one of us to not engage in personal contact sharing. As the saying goes, “Prevention is always better than cure.”
Note: If we find you engaging in offsite by any means, then it would be considered as violations of community guidelines and one would face the consequences of it as per the Behavioral Rating System.
Important reminder:
If you are involved in offsite already, we would encourage you to take a step back and be in the safety zone. You are not only protecting yourself but setting an example for others to follow safety steps as well. Your one no to offsites would not only keep you safe but as well as others and the community. Because the change starts from within.
We want to maintain a healthy and safe environment to support everyone. Your efforts and contributions to it will be much appreciated.
Thank you for being part of the 7Cups Community!!
Check out the following posts on internet safety:
♡ Internet Safety & Your Role As A 7 Cups Listener
♡ Preventing Off-site Contact (Safety Tips and Resources)
♡ And many similar posts, in the Safety and Knowledge Sub community
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(Added posts on internet safety, udated form and forum links on 9/25/22, Sunisshiningandsoareyou)
@ASilentObserver Thank you Obs for the reminder!
@ASilentObserver It's good to have reminders from time to time.
I get the impression there's a particular problem with the game Among Us at the moment, and it's good to remind everyone that invitations are a form of offsite contact. However, that important information is easy to miss in your huge post, and I wonder if you might wish to consider putting it right at the top, maybe even changing the title of the post so it includes Among Us.
Also, use of the term "offsite" can be a little confusing, because four of the links you posted go offsite. I wonder if you might wish to consider explaining that aspect of the issue.
Charlie
@ASilentObserver
I fully agree that for the safety of Members and Listeners off site contact should not be used. I have tried explaining why with also not making the other sites bad. it is something I have seen a lot of in chatrooms the site name the persons screen name to be contacted on. Where do we report this ?
@ASilentObserver
I receive from time to time two main kinds of requests/pressures from Members in 1-2-1 chats, to give them an alternative way of contacting them:
Members that are going through a particularly intense crisis, and would like to call my attention to chat in 7 Cups in case of a critical peak. For example, some have even had episodes of self-harm that could have been avoided by a chat.
This need could be addressed if the 7 Cups app had a strong, differentiated alarm we could make available to some members during a finite period of time, to remotely call our attention to start a chat (like the remote alarm in Galarm app).
Longer-term very “sensitive” members that have established a strong confidence bond, are very reluctant to start again with another Listener (some had bad previous experiences), and are afraid we could leave 7 Cups and lose contact forever.
This could be addressed if Listeners that left 7 Cups could be contacted via an anonymous email system, similar to those used in e-commerce intermediary platforms, like E-Bay. 7 Cups already has a similar system (emails with ending @7cups.com) but it's not widely available nor known.
If these technologically simple systems, (already existent in other apps or platforms) could be put in place, it would allow for these kinds of members to get the particular help they need, and eliminate these motivations to establish alternative ways of contact, motivations that are very intense in extreme cases.
It would be a kind thing to do, I think.
@WelcomeToChat @asilentobserver
I am very hopeful that when the rewritten app comes out, I will receive instant notifications when a member leaves me a message. That will really remove the need for any offsite app contact, such as you describe.
The fact that instant notifications have not worked for me since the update last March (!!!) is the source of frustration, and the frequent requests I have had for some way to anonymously supplement the official app.
@DavidEss
@asilentobserver
@GlenM
The 7 Cups App should, ideally, make a distinct noise with higher volume for PMs (configurable?) than, say, for notifying upvotes.
It would be great if it can be configured for PMs to make it sound a really noisy and long alarm, or back to a quiet notification, depending on the circumstances (configurable by sender, like in WhatsApp or SMS would be a dream, but not indispensable).
So it could even wake me up at night if I decide to set it as a loud continuous alarm.
A Member in a peak crisis could call my attention to chat, if I configure it this way. Like putting myself "on call" when necessary.
That would be spectacular !
I pray for that.
Thank you !
Marcelo.
@WelcomeToChat
Hi Marcelo
I think we have to remember our role on here. And also that even professional therapists do not usually make themselves available as an emergency service.
What I miss is being able to give an answer to "I'm free this afternoon if you want to chat then?" because I haven't seen the message in time.
@DavidEss
Sure, you are right.
Marcelo