Rules and Guidelines for Balaboostas members

Balaboostas Rules:

1. You need to be a Jewish married or divorced woman to be a member. It doesn't matter how observant you are; it matters that you be Jewish.
2. Please respect Jewish law. Comments against God, Torah or religion are forbidden.
3. Please treat other members with dignity and respect at all times. Personal insults and attacks are forbidden. If a member violates this rule, she will be permanently banned.
4. Respect the fact that we are all from different backgrounds. Please be particularly sensitive to the questions regarding Jewish Law (Halacha) or custom (Minhag). Not everyone here is observant or orthodox. Therefore, refrain from insulting or embarrassing someone in regard to spiritual or Biblical subjects.
5. Be informative and remain sensitive when offering advice. Do not be judgmental, especially regarding sensitive subjects like marriage and intimacy.
6. Avoid tangents. Stick to the question at hand and use common sense. If you feel compelled to share information, but it might be a tangent, start a new discussion under the appropriate topic.
7. Respect freedom of choice. Do not offer advice you think the original poster will find offensive. (For example, if a member is asking how they can increase their milk supply, don't suggest that they should be giving their baby formula, and vice versa.) This applies to all controversial or sensitive subjects.
8. Consult with a professional despite the advice you receive here. While it’s okay to inquire about medical opinions, Halachic questions or therapeutic advice, you should always contact a professional (be it a doctor, rabbi, or therapist).
9. You must contact the admin to recommend a professional. This applies to doctors, therapists, rabbis, consultants, or specialists of any kind.
10. No business is allowed here! There can be no buying, selling or advertising here without a purchased ad. This includes products, services or promoting your (or your friend’s) business. If you'd like to advertise, please contact us for rates.

Balaboostas Guidelines:

• Please use English only. If you use a Hebrew term, please translate it into English as well.
• All questions are welcome. When posting responses, make sure that your information is accurate. If it includes references to something written in a Sefer (Torah book) or something your rabbi said, provide the source or be willing to look it up if someone asks.
• The posts on this forum are written by a varied group of women with different views and Hashkafos (perspectives). Please don't take any comments or answers as a P'sak Halacha (Rabbinic Ruling). Please ask your own Rav to find out which opinion you should go by. Hence, this internet service does not preclude, override or replace the P'sak of any rabbinical authority.
• Do not stereotype or make generalizations, as this is offensive. Keep in mind that there are many types of Jews in the Balaboostas community.
• You don't have to agree with everyone or like what is being said. Simply move onto the next post.
• Please remember that a strong response to your opinion is not a personal attack. However, if you do feel a member is attacking you personally, please report it to the admin.
• If you find a post or thread that violates the rules, please report it to the moderator of that section or the admin.
• Review your post before posting it! Make sure that it will be viewed as respectful and is in accordance with the rules.
• When posting, please be 100% sure that you are posting in the appropriate category. Posts that are in the wrong category will be deleted.
• By being a member, you agree to keep this site organized. Please label your discussion with the appropriate title in CAPS. Check that your spelling and grammar are correct. Please follow the guidelines to prevent confusion or removal of a post.
• If you have any questions or concerns, please read the FAQ section. If your question is not answered there, proceed to contact the admin.
• Posting your website or business is not tolerated. Posting about a friend's business is also not acceptable. Do not email or private message members with this information either. This is considered spam and stealing. If you'd like to advertise, please contact us for rates.
• If you know a professional who may be helpful to others, please send the admin their name, profession and relevant information. The admin researches each recommendation. Once approved, they will be added to a listing of professionals. This includes: physicians, psychologists, rabbis, babysitters, playgroups, cleaners, etc. If you are seeking immediate professional help and would like a specific suggestion, you may contact the admin for references.
• Controversial discussions should be avoided in the general forum. We have a section entitled “Controversy” where passionate debates can take place. This section will not be moderated unless the administrator decides, at her sole discretion, to do so. Please do not enter this section if you are not open to discussing the topics discussed there. By posting in this section, understand that your post may provoke strong debate, and you must be willing to take the flak. However, all the rules still apply! You must remain respectful and avoid personal insults and attacks. Non-relevant topics should not be posted in the “Controversial” section in attempt to avoid moderation. Such threads will be moved elsewhere or completely deleted.
• Private and intimate discussions should be avoided in the general forum. We have one or two Anonymous sections where such topics can be discussed. This section will be moderated with extra care and caution. To post anonymously, click “post anonymous” where indicated below your message.
• When starting a discussion anonymously, write that you are the OP – Original Poster. When replying to comments, write (OP HERE) so other members know that you are the original poster. If you are commenting on the post anonymously, write: (NP HERE) for New Poster and then continue down the numbers, i.e., (NP 1), (NP 2), (NP 3), etc., so that everyone has a way to be identified, and we know who to respond to.

ONLY the following topics can be discussed under the Anonymous sections:

• Birth Control
• Infertility
• Early Pregnancy
• Mikvah
• Intimacy
• Marriage
• Marital Issues
• Family Issues
• Mental Health Issues
• Abuse
• Divorce

Or something EXTREMELY sensitive that would cause you or the person you're writing about extreme shame or would otherwise be considered idle gossip (Lashon Harah). If you want to post something anonymously that is not necessarily private or doesnt fall under the above categories, please contact the admin first to prevent your post from getting deleted. Please do not abuse this wonderful feature, and make certain before posting that you are following the rules and guidelines on anonymity. If the admin feels that a post should not be anonymous it will automatically be deleted.

Balaboostas Disclaimers:

1. You understand that this community is for Jewish women. You must be at least 18 years of age to use this service. Viewer discretion is advised.
2. You understand that the administration is not responsible for the outcomes of any advice given here.
3. You understand that if you need medical or psychological attention, you should seek a doctor or therapists attention immediately.
4. You understand that this forum does not hand out Heterim (permissions), or gives any P'sak Din (Rabbinic Ruling) on Halachic (Torah Law) matters.
5. You understand that any and all posts that violate any of the above rules or guidelines will be deleted immediately. If you break the rules, you will be warned. If you repeatedly break the rules then you will lose your right to post or will be permanently banned.
6. You understand that we reserve the right to terminate any membership for any reason or no reason at all.
7. You understand that we reserve the right to remove any content for any reason and no reason at all.
8. You agree that, at this community, we reserve the right to reveal your identity (or whatever information we know about you) in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any message posted by you.
9. You understand that we log all internet protocol addresses accessing this web site.
10. You understand that advertisements, chain letters, pyramid schemes and solicitations are not allowed in this community.
11. You agree not to post any copyrighted material unless the copyright is owned by you.
12. You agree through your use of this service, that you will not use this community to post any material which is knowingly false and/or defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, threatening, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, invasive of a person's privacy, or otherwise violative on any law.

You agree to all of the above rules, guidelines, and terms of service. If you have any questions or concerns please contact the administration -BRACHA BARD-WIGDOR (HOFFER), THE ADMINISTRATOR