Online Network Community Guidelines

Welcome to Breast Cancer Network Australia’s (BCNA) Online Community. This is a positive, inclusive and respectful space for Australia’s affected by breast cancer to connect, share, and receive peer support.

These guidelines help maintain the integrity, privacy and safety of our community. Please read them carefully and follow them when participating.

Note: While this Community is designed to be supportive, it is not a crisis service. For urgent help, please contact appropriate crisis or mental health services.

The following BCNA policies explain how we manage the data we collect:

General guidelines

Always:

Be respectful and kind: Treat others with empathy, compassion, and courtesy. BCNA’s community is built on support, and we expect members to help make it an encouraging and respectful place.
Be thoughtful and stay on topic: Ensure your posts contribute to the ongoing conversation and stay relevant to the topic being discussed. Aim to add value to the conversation, provide support, or share something constructive. Remember to also celebrate small wins and encourage those who need it.
Own your words: You are responsible for the content and tone of your comments. Consider the impact your words may have on others. We encourage you to review your comments and reflect before posting. You can change or delete posts if you change your mind.
Protect privacy: Only share personal information that you are comfortable with and respect the privacy of others. Avoid sharing your full name, contact details, health records, or identifiable information about others without their explicit permission.
Fact-check before posting: When sharing information, especially on resources or support, ensure it is accurate and comes from reputable sources. This keeps the community a reliable place for sharing knowledge.
Respect intellectual property and copyright: When sharing resources or quotes, always give proper credit to the original source and follow legal guidelines for intellectual property.
Consider the diversity of our community: Don’t hesitate to jump in and participate but remember that everyone’s personal experiences and circumstances are different. You may not agree with everything you read but we welcome people from different backgrounds and with different perspectives. If a post breaks these guidelines, our moderators will manage it, or you can report it.
Post offensive or harmful content: This includes content that is abusive, hateful, discriminatory, obscene, or threatening. Harassment and bullying will not be tolerated.
Engage in personal attacks: You won’t always agree with other people’s opinions, but personal attacks on other members, moderators, or BCNA staff are not acceptable.
Use bad language: Mild swear words are tolerated, but you must not direct them at others or use them in a way that causes harm.
Spam or promote: Do not use the community to promote businesses, services, personal blogs, or external links without prior approval from BCNA.
Post false or misleading information: Do not intentionally share inaccurate or deceptive content that could cause confusion or harm.
Use all caps: Avoid using ALL CAPS as this is often interpreted as shouting and can come across as aggressive or impolite.
Create multiple accounts to deceive: Creating multiple accounts to hide your identity or harass others is prohibited and may result in permanent removal from the community.
Breach the Website Terms of Use: Familiarise yourself with and follow BCNA’s Website Terms of Use, which govern acceptable behaviour and content on all BCNA platforms.

Above all, enjoy the community: There’s a lot to see and read, and our members love to talk!

Interested in a community role? If you’re interested in taking on a leadership role within the community, such as becoming a group moderator or leader, please contact BCNA Helpline Services Team at 1800 500 258 for more information.

Community safety and privacy

Your safety and privacy are of the utmost importance to BCNA. Please keep the following in mind:

Anonymity and pseudonyms: To safeguard your privacy and minimise cyber risks, we recommend you use a pseudonym and consider not using an image of you as your profile picture when engaging in the community. This helps protect your identity so you can share and participate comfortably.
Contact BCNA if you feel unsafe: If at any time you feel unsafe or threatened, contact a moderator immediately through the BCNA Helpline at 1800 500 258, or send a message via our Get In Touch form on our website.
Wellbeing concerns: If you are concerned about the wellbeing of another community member, contact the moderators. Our team will review the situation and reach out to the member if necessary.
Privacy: BCNA takes your privacy seriously and will ensure any personal information provided to us is protected as required under Australian law.

About public and private groups

Public forum: Most areas of the Online Community are visible to the public. Be cautious about sharing sensitive information or personal details. Remember that content in public discussions may be visible to search engines.
Private groups: BCNA offers private groups for more confidential discussions. The contents and members of these groups are not visible to the public, providing an added layer of privacy for sensitive topics. However, even in private groups, share only what you feel comfortable disclosing.
To suggest a new group: Contact the Helpline Services Team at 1800 500 258. BCNA reviews all requests and decides the group’s fit within the community.

Content Moderation and Reporting

BCNA’S Online Community is moderated by both BCNA staff and volunteers to ensure a safe, positive environment for all members. Moderation is not about censorship, but about ensuring the community remains supportive and welcoming for everyone.

Moderation process: Posts and comments are not held for review before publication. This means posts appear immediately, but moderators review posts regularly to ensure they comply with the community guidelines If a post is found to violate community guidelines, moderators may edit, move, or delete it.
Reporting inappropriate content: Help us keep the community positive by reporting any posts that break these guidelines.
Reporting content: You can report inappropriate or harmful content to the moderation team. You can do this by going to the cog icon on the top right hand side and clicking on report in the drop down. Moderators will review reported content as soon as possible, to take any action needed to resolve the issue.
Consequences of breaking these guidelines: Members who repeatedly or seriously violate these guidelines may face a range of actions including:
- Posts must be approved: posts are reviewed by moderators before being published.
- Temporary suspension: a short-term ban from the community.
- Permanent ban: in cases of serious breaches, a member may be permanently banned from BCNA’s Online Community.

Moderation decisions are final and will be communicated privately with the member concerned. Moderators do not discuss moderation actions publicly in the community to maintain privacy and fairness.

Prohibited conduct

When you use the Online Network you agree to:

No commercial or promotional activity: While members are welcome to share resources they’ve found helpful, BCNA’s Online Community should not be used for self-promotion of goods, services, or commercial activity. This includes external links to personal blogs or personal websites. We encourage you to submit a suggestion for updates to BCNA’s Service Finder instead.
This is not a medical or counselling service: BCNA’s Online Community is a space for peer support, but it does not replace professional medical or counselling advice. If people post medical advice, use caution and always seek guidance from your own medical team. BCNA cannot endorse or validate any health or medical advice posted by community members.
No health professional promotion: Health professionals are welcome to join BCNA’s Online Community to listen, learn, and engage with members. However, we ask that health professionals do not use the community for professional purposes, such as asking medical questions or promoting services.
No unapproved surveys: You may not conduct a survey or gather data from our community without approval from BCNA. If you are a health professional, student, or researcher. Read the Working with consumers page to find out more.

Feedback and suggestions

BCNA is committed to making the Online Community a positive and supportive space. If you have suggestions for improvements or questions about community management, we encourage you to share them:

Community input: Please contact Helpline Services with any suggestions or feedback on improving the community experience.
Regular updates: BCNA regularly reviews community feedback and guidelines to ensure we are following best practices and meeting the needs of our members.

Further information

If you have suggestions or questions about the community guidelines or any aspect of moderation, please call us on 1800 500 258 or request a call back.