Message Boards - Rules of Use

Before you start chatting and posting, the rules below will help you better understand online community etiquette and behavior.

Understand Your Environment
Go with the flow of the community. Learn about how other users act in the chat room or discussion board areas by observing others before you participate. Also click the links for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) or terms and conditions that explain the usability and ground rules of a board or chat room. By doing some advance research, you'll learn a lot in a short time, and you'll be glad you did.

Be Clear and Concise
When you respond to someone with your own posting, summarize their idea or briefly quote them so other users will know what you're talking about. It's difficult to read posts that make no sense on their own. And be careful with humor and sarcasm. You won't have the benefit of body language and voice inflection to add meaning to your posts, and funny remarks can be misinterpreted. Emoticons (i.e., :), ;) ) can help you deliver the true meaning of your words. Go with the flow of conversation, have fun, and stay on topic, or even start your own topic for further discussion.

Treat Others the Way You Want to Be Treated
Living by this rule does more to preserve order on a discussion board or chat room than anything else you can do. Remember that the words you see on the screen were put there by other human beings. These people have feelings too, even if it doesn't always seem like it. Be sure you're polite, considerate, and kind. Sometimes this means you'll have to turn the other cheek, but you, and the community as a whole, will be better off for doing so. The AARP community is a chance to connect with other people, not just to share information, but to also share life experiences. Always remember to be respectful and sensitive to other community members.

No Selling
Please don't post or transmit any advertising, promotional materials, or any other forms of solicitation in the AARP discussion boards. Such messages will be deleted.

Watch What You Say
You may not transmit via the AARP discussion boards any information, data, text, files, links, software, chat, communication or other materials ("Content") that is considered to be unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, hateful, racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable. In such cases of member abuse, the AARP Community Manager reserves the right to remove the content and/or restrict or revoke that AARP member's community privileges.

If you ever have any questions, concerns, or comments regarding the Message Board Rules above, please email us at community@aarp.org.

Thanks for your time and enjoy the AARP.org Community experience!

The AARP Community Management Team

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