The information on this web site that will be important to you in your participation in these Prostate-Help Forums. It is important that you read and understand this page as well as reading the other pages on this site. In the long run you will get to where you want to go with your disease. It will make things easier and far less of a hassle during the decision making process. Upon joining a similar document will be sent referring to this page. It is assumed by your membership that you have fully read and understand this page.

INTRODUCTION

The Forums, the Web Sites, PHID and BLOGs are a part of the Prostate-Help, Patients helping Patients developed "for patients and by patients" who have or have had prostate cancer, their wives, loved ones and all members of their personal support system. It all is a creation of Don Cooley

Additional information on prostate cancer, its treatments.  Here you will find an equivalent of over 1000 pages (including all of the available links) of information containing maybe 1,000,000 words devoted exclusively to prostate cancer and its treatment. This is perhaps the most comprehensive non-commercial Forums of web sites in the world. It is regularly visited by people from 94 countries around the world. I call it a virtual encyclopedia of information on prostate cancer.

These rules are for the smooth operation of the Forums. It is expected and understood that all members have read and fully understand these rules and the joining of these Forums are proof that you agree to abide by them.

GENERAL RULES

Here are a few rules to assist the Forums to move forward in its discussions so that everyone wins and learns. These are the "rules of the road" when you are posting to the PHCa Forums. Remember that each Forum has a particular treatment, area, etc., the posts to these Forums should be kept within the interest of each particular Forum. The aim of these Forums is to keep the discussions on tract to the topic of each Forum and the posts should be about things that will help prostate cancer patients in their everyday decisions effecting their disease.

SPECIAL NOTICE

Those thought to be intentionally not following the rules of the Forums may be removed by the owner immediately without notice. Such removal will be from Forums. If it is found that someone is sending private email to members on any Forums in which they are promoting any doctor, clinic or type of treatment, or otherwise violating the above rules, the person will be removed as a member of ALL Forums. The members of these Forums are special and are not to be used for your own personal solicitations, etc. The same care, in personal messages, as required in the Forums will be extended to those who may post private messages to said members.

1. KEEP POSTS PRIMARILY TO PROSTATE CANCER AND ITS TREATMENTS OR IN SUPPORT OF EACH OTHER IN FIGHTING THIS DISEASE:

The general emphasis is all topics related to prostate cancer and the support of the patient, the family and the individual member. Other topics may be discussed as the members see fit to do so.  There is no hard and fast rule that other things of interest, within the bounds of the rules, can't be discussed.

2. STRONG OPINIONS:

Discussions, strong opinions or attacks about organizations (public or private), and/or public figures are not acceptable. Discussions of governmental actions that effect prostate cancer in the US and aboard are limitedly acceptable but should be very limited.

3. NO PERSONAL ATTACKS:

Personal negative statements about any member in the Forums will not be acceptable. You may correct a statement, that in your opinion may be misleading, or disagree with the statements someone makes, but not make negative personal statements about the person..

4. KEEP IT PRIVATE:

If you don't like the way someone is behaving, feel free to send the person a polite private message - they are not acceptable postings for the Forums. If you send personal messages to anyone within the Forums - remember these rules apply to those messages. Most misbehavior on the Forums is best handled by not responding to it at all, especially in public. Often all the perpetrator is trying to do is get a rise out of others. When one gets no replies - it makes it difficult to carry on a one sided debate.

5. BAD OR UNACCEPTABLE BEHAVIOR:

Of course profanity and threats of violence or other inappropriate behavior are not permitted. Other similar behavior may be considered unacceptable by the owner at any time at the sole discretion of the owner.

6. BANNED SUBJECTS:

Discussions and debates about politics, political parties and politicians, military actions, national or world affairs and political parties as well as any discussion about any religion, religious practices, lack of religion, religious conflicts all have no place on the Forums.   Remember we are International with members from many of the worlds religions.

7. CLOSING THREADS:

From time to time the owner may close a discussion thread and it is expected that all, upon reading, will immediately honor that request and make no more posts to that thread. The owner will make these decisions simply because the discussion becomes unproductive and is a total lose/lose, changes no ones's mind and it has no benefit.

8. CROSS POSTING:

Since there is often personal medical information presented to the Forums, "Invasion of Privacy" becomes an issue. Do not cross-post between other Forums of from other mailing lists, news, Forums or personal posts without express written permission from the writer. Said writing permission should be obtained for each and every post. Cross posting may, and almost always will, cause confusion in the Forums when they have no history and may compromise privacy of an individual. The unauthorized use, disclosure, copying or alteration of any message, to or from any Forums, mailing lists, personal posts, etc. without direct written permission from its owner is strictly forbidden. One may copy and post a earlier post from the same Forums to other Prostate-Help Forums without permission as it was once posted to that Forums and may be repeated. However one must be careful in doing this as it might not be appreciated by the original writer. It is simply best to obtain permission first for all copies of posts.

9. COPYRIGHT AND FAIR USE:

By joining these Forums, each member has read and understands the "Copyright and Permission To Use" below and at (click on) Copyright / Fair Use for PHCa Forums, Chat rooms, websites by clicking "here"

10. ADVERTISING - NOT PERMITTED:

These Forums are for Patients Helping Patients and all advertising for any commercial product, institution, clinic, doctor, website, book, magazine or any commercial entity is forbidden. This especially includes when it is being done by a representative, paid or unpaid, of said company, clinic, doctor, institution, website, book magazine, etc. Any solicitation of funds for either profit or non-profit organizations is strictly forbidden unless approved, in writing, by the owner and is so stated on the solicitation. Forbidden posts include surveys or questionnaires, attempts to recruit subscribers for research projects, or announcements for charities, support Forums or other Forums, announcments of prostate cancer seminars or other seminars, other meetings, support Forums meetings, etc. - these kinds of posts may be made only with prior written approval and will be limited to one post per organization per year.

11.MEMBERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TELL EXPERIENCES

Members are encouraged to tell their experiences of their treatment good or bad and are encouraged to tell the names of the clinics and doctors involved, websites used, and books read. In the case of products patients are encouraged to tell others what they are using and where it was obtained. Sometimes it is a fine line between advertising/promotion but when done by patients with prostate cancer (or their loved ones) it will generally be accepted as information and not advertising and therefore is encouraged. It is never allowed when there is a profit or income involved - even when done by a non-profit organization. However any posts made by anyone when in the opinion of the owner is outright advertising, the owner will warn and/or terminate the member at the owners discretion.

12. USE OF SIGNATURE LINES

Members are encouraged to use "signature" lines below their name to give information that the poster believes is in the best interest of the members of the Forums AND has educational value AND is not advertising. Said signature lines will be limited to a maximum of 3 lines. In addition the owner may allow some mention of commercial and non-profit books, web sites, journals, magazines, etc. where the member is or has been actively engaged in prostate cancer as a researcher or a patient so long as it is not an attempt to advertise the product as determined by the owner. Such use must be approved by the owner. The use of PC-Digests as a tag line to posts is not considered "signature" lines and members are encouraged to use such tag lines of their medical history.

13. ASSOCIATIONS WITH COMMERCIAL ENTITIES

Postings from any individuals who are associated with, or get a compensation from or on the payroll of a company, clinic or doctor or other commercial entity, and are soliciting PROMOTION OF OTHER GROUPS patients by the use of private or public email (offline or online) will not be allowed and the member will be removed. Any Doctor or their representative are free to answer questions publicly so long as it is the answer of the questions in general and not the solicitation of a patient for his/her services, Any time a doctor/ clinic/ company or their representative are found sending private posts to the members of this Forums for any reason said member will be removed. This paragraph will also apply to any individual who promotes a single institution, clinic or doctor, in posts (offline or online) which would appear to be advertising or solicitation of any member for the services of that institution. clinic or doctor. It is the intent of Prostate-Help to keep posts open to all members where many can gain the knowledge and an open debate can be held. Private posts can be and often are very biased and very misleading. Should any member receive such a post it would be appreciated that said post be sent to Don Cooley by clicking "here"

14. PROMOTION OF OTHER FORUMS, WEB SITES, etc.:

It has become a problem when someone on the Forums or someone joins the Forum seemingly with the purpose of promoting of his/her special web sites, Forums, mailing list, etc. in the body of a post or in the signature of a post. Generally these promotions will not be allowed without express permission by the owner. This rule applies to both profit and non profit organizations alike. Considerations, but not necessarily acceptance, for allowing such postings will be as follows:

A. If the person doing the posting is a prostate cancer patient or who has actively participated in the direct care of a prostate cancer patient as a (a) relative or (b) a significant other.

B. If a web site is mentioned it will be a requirement that a link of all the Prostate-Help web sites, Forums. Prostate-Help Information Database (PHID) and Help-Lines be included in a prominent page of their site or any sub site.

C. If there is value, as determined by the owner of Prostate-Help, to the treatment of prostate cancer patients as a whole and is not directed to one class, community, treatment protocol, etc. for patients.

D. There is no rule or regulation that would bar any post mentioning the Prostate-Help or the owner or the names of any of the Prostate-Help offerings in the Forums, Mailing Lists, Forums, etc. by any person.

You are free to mention in your posts, your treating doctor/clinic and other doctors/clinics and web sites who are part of the prostate cancer community and whose web sites are of significant educational value, and not biased, to the patient or otherwise might assist a patient in making a treatment decision.

15. MEDICAL INFORMATION AND PRIVACY RIGHTS:

When you are asking questions about your (or a loved ones) disease please provide as much of the medical information that you have and clarify if it is you or some one else. Please keep your questions on topic within the name of the Forums. Remember when you are talking about some one other than yourself be very careful disclosing information without the expressed permission of the patient. To do so may be a violation of his privacy and you could be named in a lawsuit. The owner assumes when you disclose information about others in these Forums you have their permission to do so. (For your protection it might be good to get it in writing.) The same violation of privacy would be involved anytime you take the information from any Forums and release it anywhere for any purpose.  This is true between family members or non-family members.

16. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE:

Much of the material in these posts, represents the opinions and interpretations of non-medical individuals and should NOT be regarded as being true nor medical advice. See your Medical Professional for advice. You are free to take any post (without identifying names) or web site page to your doctor to ask questions and perhaps even to educate him. This is for your own private use and is acceptable.

Nothing on this site or in the Prostate-Help Forums may be downloaded, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, modified, made available on a network, used to create derivative works, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise according to the United States and International Copyright laws without express permission from Don Cooley or other owners of the copyright as authors of pages in which their name appears or under the following conditions.

1. The following paragraph appears on every document or partial document that is used by any party.

"The information herein is Copyrighted by Don Cooley, or other owners of their own copyright as their name may appear as the author of a paper, and appears on the web site, "Prtostate-Help" at http://www.prostate-help.org, or any Forums, Databases.BLOGS, or other pubished material which are connected to Prostate-Help

2. You may download or print out one hard copy of a reasonable amount of material from the Prostate-Help Forums or this web site for your own non-commercial research or study to help you make decisions about your (or a loved one's) prostate cancer.

3. Permission is hereby given to make multiple copies to share at any organized Support Forums meeting as long as complete pages, PDF files or DOC files are printed in total and shared and so long as item number 1 above is followed.  No patients names or identifying information will be included in what you hand out.

4. All authors on this web site understand the uses of the materials on this site as outlined above.

5. There shall be no posting of materials from any source to any Forums without the full written permission of the author. To do so is a violation of copyright law.

Forums Owner

To Join the Forums for "Ladies Only" or "Men Only" click "here".

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