Revised February 2, 2014
Participation in the
MTHFRLiving.com Community Forums constitutes agreement to the following guidelines, terms and conditions, which apply to posts, profile information, avatars, signatures, any other content on this site and participation in general. This includes private messages, which we have the ability to read, but only do so when a violation is reported to us or we have a legitimate reason.
Use of the MTHFRLiving.com Community Forums (‘Forums’) is
free and users are required to register by providing a username and valid email address to allow MTHFR Living to send you a password and administer and moderate the forums effectively. You may change your password after you login.
PLEASE CHECK YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS AS YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE YOUR LOGIN DETAILS IF IT IS NOT CORRECT. If you do not see the message in your inbox, please check your spam folder and add us to your approved contacts list.
Your email address will not be used to send unsolicited emails and will not be given to any third party. You can read more in our
Privacy Policy. Private messages through the system can only be sent and received to/by people on your buddy list.
MTHFR Living provides the Forums for visitors, members and subscribers to read and share information with others. Disclosing personally identifiable information online through forums and message boards makes this information public. Please be careful and use discretion when disclosing any personal information.
DISCLAIMER
This is not a medical website or intended to substitute for the advice of a licensed medical or other health practitioner. We do not vouch for or warrant the accuracy, completeness or usefulness of any message, and are not responsible for the contents of any message. Please be aware that the owner of this site is not a doctor and cannot confirm the credentials of doctors and health practitioners who may post on this site. All information provided to you by email, or included in the Forums is for informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for legal, medical, counseling or other professional advice or services for you or your family. You should consult your professional caregiver or practitioner before relying on any information provided by this Site or MTHFR Living, its employees, directors or agents. The messages express the views of the author of the message, not necessarily the views of MTHFR Living, the Forums or any entity associated with the MTHFR Living website or Forums. You are ultimately responsible for your own health.
MTHFR Living and the Forums may also contain links to other web sites and files. We have no control over their content and cannot ensure that it will not be offensive or objectionable. We will, however, remove links to material that we feel is inappropriate as we become aware of them.
By posting comments on the Forums, you grant MTHFR Living and its owners the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, non-exclusive, transferable right to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display such any materials (in whole or part) worldwide and/or to incorporate it in other works in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed.
We will never connect your name or identifying information to a post you make on the Forums without your advance authorization. The exception to this is our having to provide your name to the authorities in the event of a complaint or legal action arising from any information posted by you.
Should you wish to use the Forums for research, recruitment, journal articles, marketing, photos or promotions, permission for approval must be sought from Andrea at info AT MTHFRLiving DOT com. This includes journalist solicitations.
Because of the live nature of the discussions on this community, it is not possible for us to review and/or confirm the accuracy or validity of a message before it is posted. We do not and cannot actively monitor all posted messages and are not responsible for their content. Therefore you agree not to post any material which is false, defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, profane, sexually explicit, threatening or invasive of a person's privacy or a violation of any law.
If you believe that someone has violated our User Guidelines or you have spotted content that may otherwise require attention, please use the 'Report Post' button in the bottom righthand corner. Notification is voluntary and anonymous, but in no case should a user respond to a situation personally, thereby aggravating the situation further. Responding to a violation in an inflammatory manner is a violation in itself and will result in appropriate action.
If a member posts objectionable messages, they will be contacted by their registered email address requesting this to be stopped. MTHFR Living reserves the right to ban a member from participating in these Forums if they continue to post objectionable material. We are able to remove or modify any data submitted by you for any reason we feel constitutes a violation of our policies, whether stated, implied or not. This will be done within a reasonable time frame (considering the real-time nature of the bulletin board), if we determine that removal is necessary. However, because this is a manual process, please realize that we may not be able to remove or edit particular messages immediately.
This is a for profit website that will attempt to generate revenue through avenues that we deem appropriate. Andrea is, however, firmly committed to keeping this website and community free of advertising for products and services that are not in the best interests of its members. Andrea believes firmly in holistic and natural health and is continually furthering her education in the knowledge space of health, holistic wellness, genetics, epigenetics and clean living. So please be assured that, as part of her mission to improve the health and lives of others through education and communication, Andrea is committed to your health success and good outcomes.
Any content that violates our User Guidelines will be removed. Interpretation of our guidelines is at the discretion of the staff.
Please observe the following guidelines when participating in these forums:
1. Cross posting is not allowed and will result in the removal of one or more posts. Cross posting is defined as posting the same information in two or more locations. When posting your topic, please try to post it in the most appropriate place within the organizational structure of our community. Identical topics posted in the same or different forums will be removed. The only exceptions are threads intended to “Introduce Yourself” – you may notice that some forums have an introduction thread specifically for that forum. In this instance it will be appropriate and permissible for you to post an introduction post about yourself in both the general introductions forum and also in the specific forums where you are active.
2. While member post count has meaning, it should not be taken too seriously. Attempts to artificially increase your post count are prohibited. This includes the mass creation of short or meaningless posts. When participating in fun and game threads such as "Word Association Game" or "What song are you listening to right now?" please do not post consecutive replies within a short period of time.
3. Advertisements are not allowed. Generally speaking, posts made specifically for the promotion of a website, product or service are considered advertising or, at least, posts made that unnecessarily send people to a website that you are in some way affiliated with. It does not matter if it is a commercial website, a personal website, a nonprofit website, etc. We do authorize and/or sell advertisements on a case-by-case basis. If you are interested in utilizing this option, please contact us.
All signature links must be kept in your signature in your profile. Anyone found to be posting excessive links to their websites or suspected of using "sneaky" advertising methods is in violation of this guideline. You may only post a link to your site/a site that you are in some way affiliated with if the link specifically answers the question that is being asked and the answer cannot be simply posted without the link. Even then, link directly to the page where the information can be found. General and unnecessary links will be tagged as advertising. If you are found to be excessively posting links to your site (or you appear to be seeking out threads where your link may be relevant, so that you can post it), you may lose the ability to post links to your site.
4. You are not allowed to post an affiliate URL that leads to you earning cash, banner impressions, credits, points, etc.
5. Do not post personal, real-life information such as home addresses and home phone numbers. This is for your own safety.
6. As this is an English-speaking community, we require that posted content be in the English language, so that it can be well received and properly monitored.
7. Vulgar language and inappropriate material is not allowed and will be removed. Abbreviations, self-censoring and attempts to circumvent the word censoring feature of the community software also violate this guideline. If your post contains a word that is censored by the software, you must remove that word or the post will be removed. If you feel that the censor is acting in error, please contact us. We try to maintain a family friendly atmosphere whenever it is possible within the main subject matter of this community. Please keep this in mind when participating.
8. When linking to outside websites, you must ensure that the content of the link is appropriate for our community, in line with the guidelines laid out here. This includes mentioning or referencing a site, even if the mention is not hyperlinked. If you post a link and that link is automatically censored, it is considered to be an inappropriate link and you should remove it from your post immediately. If left, all posts that feature inappropriate links will be removed.
9. Posts that discuss illegal activities, transactions, or websites will be removed. This includes the posting of information that you have obtained illegally.
10. Do not post copyrighted materials (articles, videos, audio, etc.) that you do not have permission to reproduce or distribute. For text articles, most of the time you may quote a small portion of the article (usually no more than 1/5 or 1/6) and you must link to the source (if online) or provide the source (if offline). Posting the entire article, even with the source, constitutes copyright infringement. This is not the place to illegally trade or distribute copyrighted (or those with questionable copyright status) video or audio clips.
Spam, flooding, advertisements, chain letters and solicitations are also inappropriate for these Forums.
11. When posting and linking to images, videos, files, etc., please refrain from hotlinking. This is the direct linking to images (.jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .png, etc.), video (.avi, .mov, .mpg, .mpeg, .wmv, etc.), audio (.mp3, .wav, etc.), archives (.zip, .rar, etc.) or otherwise downloadable or streamable files, on servers that you do not have permission to link to, instead of linking to the page where the item can be found. This includes providing a direct link to the file, even if that file is not embedded into your post. This practice costs the server owner money and resources.
***This includes avatars. Do not link to any website containing an avatar that you do not own and operate. If you want to use an avatar, for example, from a free site, right click on the image and then save it to your computer. You may then upload it to our avatar gallery for use. We will remove the links to avatars that are hotlinked inappropriately.***
12. These Forums are provided for community members to share information and experiences as well as to facilitate support and networking. In the spirit of this purpose, you must respect your fellow members. Please refrain from inflammatory and defamatory comments as well as flaming, taunting and general disrespect. Do not simply put down the opinion or advice given by others. If you don't agree with it, say why - respectfully. Don't just tell them they're wrong. Do not make uninvited remarks about typos, duplicate posts, posting styles, etc. You must always communicate in a respectful, polite and courteous manner.
We want everyone to feel free to express their opinions and it is important to remember that just because your opinion differs from that of another member, this is not grounds for a personal attack on that person, his beliefs or reasoning. The written medium is not without its flaws and sometimes misunderstandings arise, either unintentionally or because someone did not think carefully about what they are saying, the way they say it and their tone. To help avoid hurt feelings, anger and unnecessary misunderstandings, please assume that people are writing with the best of intentions and try to be sensitive to the fact that you may be misinterpreting a comment or the way something was written. This will help to keep these boards drama-free and maintain the healthy, supportive atmosphere of the community.
If a thread is closed by a moderator it will remain closed until administration makes a decision on it. Threads are closed for a reason and this reason will usually be provided prior to closure. We ask that members do not start spin-off threads (a new thread that is aimed to continue the point of view or line of argument) when this occurs. Members who begin spin-off threads after a thread is closed will risk having their membership suspended for 48 hours.
If you have second thoughts about what you have posted, you may use the edit facility or delete what you have written.
Please be mindful of the way you post and avoid using devices like ALL CAPS (which could be mistaken for shouting). Please do not use uncommon slang and please write out the acronyms for less common terms. While most people know what a SNP is, for example, not everyone may know what FMS (fibromyalgia syndrome) is. Please write it out, at least the first time it is used in the thread and then place the shortened letter version in parentheses next to the term. We are all here to learn from each other and we need to be conscious that each of us may be at different stages in the learning process. We all have our own areas of knowledge strength and competency, so please do not put another member down if he or she did not know what you were talking about.
When an opinion-based discussion is being had, do not state things like "there is no argument" as if your opinion is the only one or the only one that matters. When someone has clearly stated their opinion, do not say things like "Are you serious?" and "Are you kidding me?" Remember, this is not a debate club. This is a friendly discussion community. Allow people to have their opinion. No one is to act as some sort of opinion judge, responding to each one to say whether they agree with it or not or whether or not it is a valid, well thought out opinion.
We do not allow threads to be started to discuss who or what is the most overrated, who or what is your least favorite, etc. Please be conscious and respectful when discussing doctors and other professionals and practitioners on this forum. While you are allowed to state your true, unexaggerated experience with a particular practitioner, please refrain from stepping over the boundaries and straying into remarks that could be considered as defamation. It is not appropriate to tell others not to use a certain practitioner’s services or a company’s products. Again, while you are free to state your fact-based experience with that person, this community is not the place for grudge matches or actively seeking to ruin the business or reputation of another person or entity.
Please also be sensitive to sharing doctor names publicly when discussing conditions like Lyme disease or the names of doctors who have requested that their names not be stated in a public forum.
13. Signatures are limited to 255 characters. The text in the signature may be customized by the MyCode in use on the Forums. It is recommended that you stick with readable fonts and colors and that the size is not too large. You may mention websites and ventures that you are in some way related to, as long as they are otherwise appropriate for this community. Focus on things that you like, not things that you don't.
14. Each user is allowed to create one account. If you would like to change your username, please contact us and, most likely, we can do it for you while you can keep all of your profile data, posts, and other content. Multiple user name changes will not be authorized.
15. Automated account creation, participation, and content scraping is not permitted.
16. We know that people will have to leave our community (of their own free will or otherwise) from time to time and to that end, we do not delete accounts, posts, or other content posted on our community. All content is granted to us with perpetual electronic publishing rights because any content posted on this community becomes a part of the community, even if you no longer are. You may request an item to be removed at any time, but we will decide when and if to remove content from our community. If you wish to no longer be identified with our community, we will be glad to close your account and alter your profile information to remove all identifying characteristics. After account closure, you will no longer be able to participate in this community and this action is not reversible.
17. Moderators and the site owner have the final say on anything. If you have a problem, you may make a complaint to them directly and not publicly on the website. Creating threads or posts that question or reference administrative decisions or potential administrative decisions, such as post removals and thread closures, is not permitted. We are not perfect and if you feel that we have made a mistake, please privately contact a staff member and we will review the situation. If you would like a copy of your removed post so that you can adjust it and repost, please contact us. As long as we wouldn't prefer you to simply start over, we'll be glad to send you a copy.
18. Whenever you are participating in this community, please keep in mind that we strive to create a fun, friendly and inviting atmosphere. So, please have fun and enjoy the forums!
Freedom of speech rights do not extend to privately owned websites, such as this one. These guidelines detail the types of behavior and activities that are allowed here.
If a user violates our guidelines and shows a disregard for them, our staff and our community, they run the risk of losing their account. We reserve the right to deactivate any account and to edit or remove any content without warning. These guidelines are subject to change at any time without notice and changes will be announced in the ‘Forum Announcements’ forum.
Do you have a question about our User Guidelines or anything else? Do you have a suggestion? Do you want to offer some feedback? Or are you experiencing some trouble with the site? Please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be glad to help in any way that we can.
Thank you for your positive intentions and for participating in the MTHFR Living Community Forums!
Revised February 2, 2014
***Community Guidelines*** (with link to Privacy Policy)
***Community Guidelines*** (with link to Privacy Policy) 
