1. This is an interfaith community, open to people with history and heritage in all the world’s religions and traditions, as well as humanists, atheists and agnostics. Unlike similar sites, we DON’T ask you to not talk about religion: please DO share your faith experiences and your beliefs as you wish to — just don’t try to convert anyone, and don’t judge others or treat them differently.
2. We are a diverse community. Please don’t engage in any conversation or other activity that demeans any individual or group according to their race, national origin, primary language, or sexual orientation or identification.
3. The Widowed Village is global. Remember that we’re not all in the U.S. If you refer to culture, try to reference where you’re coming from so others can share, too.
4. Everyone gets crabby sometimes, BUT.
   If you log in looking for a fight, or are just feeling punchy, please don’t jump on an existing thread and start poking people who came here for another kind of support. Start a new thread in one of the “open” discussion areas and use a subject line that gives folks some idea of what type of engagement you seek: maybe “Let’s debate: the 5 stages are b.s., true or false?” or “I’m feeling mad at the world.” Others WILL pick you up on it — but don’t push your mood on everyone.
5. About marketing.
   Many of our moderators are both peers AND content providers. Some have written books or given seminars on topics directly relevant to widowed people. HOWEVER all members, including moderators and administrators, are restricted from marketing any product or service directly to you. We have found that conversations that revolve solely around products tend to be less rewarding to all, and that participants who engage only to recruit “followers” tend to not be deeply involved in their communities. Therefore we discourage these activities strongly. If you engage, you are welcome here.
6. Regarding our library.
   Soaring Spirits has collected a huge variety of information regarding books about grief. Posting on this site should not be viewed as an endorsement of the books or authors we share within our library. The purpose of the library is to offer a large variety of optional reading that you may find valuable. No financial reciprocity exists between the authors of the books in our library and Soaring Spirits International unless specifically stated.
7. Moderators and members MAY:
   * Refer to their product or service in passing
   * Mention a book, article or blog post as part of a conversation or to initiate a discussion about material they find useful.
   You may also use the Contact Us page to suggest books for our online library.
   * Refer you to their bio on Widville, which may include links to their personal websites and other materials. We expect that community members will visit the sites of other participants (whether low-key bloggers or high-profile authors or coaches) and we encourage these relationships off-site. Members should understand that associated materials by moderators and members are not part of Widowed Village or Soaring Spirits International and may include sales pitches, may collect your email or other information, etc. If you observe behavior that seems to cross the line, let us know at contact@soaringspirits.org OR through the CONTACT US button. We will NEVER sell your information, either what you’ve shared for administrative purposes (which is stored securely and encrypted OFFLINE), or what you say in the public forums and discussions, to any third party without your express permission. Soaring Spirits International, a 501(c)(3) non-profit that serves widowed people, funds this site and may, from time to time, share information with you about events and services which other widowed people have found helpful. These activities are never conducted for profit and you can opt out of them through your profile settings.
8. In general…
   1. Be nice. Don’t use obscene, inflammatory, or disparaging language about a person, a group of people, OR their words or actions. If you say that someone has made a “stupid comment,” you should expect it to be interpreted (and responded to) as if you called that person stupid. Cursing is fine, just don’t aim it AT anyone.
   2. You own your words. Think before you post: picking a fight will likely work. You should never have to delete any posting. People will consider you sneaky if you delete your words to avoid an apology — and we expect you to value these relationships as you value those “in real life.” Also — you own the copyright on everything you post here, and you control whether your words can be quoted or used in other material, with or without attribution.
   3. Stay on topic. Start a new thread (in an open discussion) if you have a new topic, concern, question, or insight to offer. Don’t talk about politics.
   4. Information wants to be free. DO feel free to talk about and provide links to books, articles, or blogs you’ve read or written. (But please read “About Marketing” if you have something for sale).

Questions? Comments? Want to get more involved?…. contact us at contact@soaringspirits.org